Winners in high spirits
Sibs serve up perfect coquito
THEY’RE mixing it up in the Bronx.
Brothers Benito Loria, 26, and Jayson Agosto, 42, have been crowned the “Coquito Kings” of the borough after they beat out a dozen other participants at Throgs Neck steakhouse Thirty3Sixty3’s first-ever coquito contest.
More than 100 patrons tasted each coquito before selecting “Abeula’s Coquito” from the Pelham pair.
“I think it’s a wonderful title,” said Loria, a paramedic. “I really enjoy it. People tell us all the time how much they enjoy it.”
Coquito is an eggnog-like drink with Puerto Rican roots, usually made of rum, condensed milk and coconut milk. The beverage is traditionally served between Thanksgiving and Three Kings Day.
Loria and Agosto had been making coquitos for a decade, and got the idea to whip up some one Christmas when money was tight.
“We made a batch and gave it out to friends as gifts,” explained Agosto, an artist. “Our friends came back and said, ‘You’ve got to make more.’ ”
Their grandma — or abuela in Spanish — gave them the recipe, which was passed down from her mother. The brothers said they put their own spin on it, using two types of rum and fresh coconut to enhance the flavor.
“It takes a little more time,” Loria said, “but it creates a better product.”
The brothers won a trophy along with $100 and crowns and a cape befitting their new royal status.
Restaurant co-owner Jacqueline Acevedo-Villanueva said she got the idea for the contest after she heard customers bragging about who made the tastiest coquito.
“It’s a very popular tradition in our culture and in Puerto Rico during the holidays up until January,” said Acevedo-Villanueva, who owns the restaurant along with her husband John.
Second-place winner Bigi Ramos, 59, of Co-op City, said she has been making coquitos for about 10 years, and makes the drink in homage to her Caribbean heritage.
“It’s keeping the tradition alive,” Ramos said. “I don’t want coquito to fall through the cracks. It’s a Puerto Rican signature drink.”
Ramos won a crown and a $50 gift certificate to Thirty3Sixty3.
“I won bragging rights,” the mother of two said.
Ramos said she makes coquitos year-round, and uses a special ingredient to make the drink pop.
“Above all, my secret, secret ingredient is love,” she said. “I make it with love.”