1. Infuse the Spiced Milk: In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the evaporated milk, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, and fresh ginger. Bring to a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the Espresso Powder: Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the instant espresso powder directly into the warm spiced milk. Stir until the coffee is completely dissolved and incorporated. Let the mixture steep for 10 minutes to allow the spices to fully bloom.

3. Strain the Mixture: Pass the coffee-milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl or pitcher. This removes the whole spices and the nata (the thin film that forms on top of heated milk), ensuring your Coquito is silky smooth.

4. Blend to Perfection: Add the milk mixture and the rest of the ingredients to the blender. Blend on high for approximately 3 minutes. This long blend time is crucial to ensuring all the heavy coconut cream is fully incorporated. I like to add a little piece of ginger for that extra kick.

5. Bottle and Chill (The Most Important Step!): Pour your Coquito into clean glass bottles (I love repurposing 750ml rum bottles). Place them in the refrigerator overnight. While it tastes good immediately, the flavor becomes “fabulous” after 24 hours when the spices and coffee have had time to truly marry.

6. Serve chilled in a small coupe or cordial glass. Garnish with a light dusting of ground cinnamon and three whole coffee beans for a beautiful, professional finish.