Cocoa-Coco Cocktail

Make the cocoa-coconut base ahead of time, and shake with the dark rum just before serving. (Victoria de la Maza)

Cocoa, coconut milk, and dark rum combine to make a smooth, silky, and sweet (but not too sweet) drink. This would be just as decadent served before or after dinner—or, frankly, as an afternoon, après-ski type of drink.

A fun idea for a party is to make two versions of this cocktail, one with dark chocolate and the other with white, and serve them in cordial glasses (the ones you inherited from your grandmother and don’t know what to do with) as part of dessert or as an after-dinner drink.

Make the cocoa-coconut base ahead of time, and shake with the dark rum just before serving. (Victoria de la Maza)

You can make the cocoa-coconut milk mixture ahead of time and add the rum just before serving.

Serves 4

• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup dark rum

In a cold pan, whisk the coconut milk, cocoa powder, and sugar until dissolved (the cocoa powder dissolves better in cold liquid). Then, over low heat, simmer until the cocoa is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Strain and chill until ready to use.

Place the chilled mixture into a cocktail shaker. Add the dark rum and fill it with ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. Serve cold.