Krémas, coquito and rompope: Caribbean and Mexican holiday drinks and where to find them

Each year leading up to the holiday season, Latin American and Caribbean households across the city look forward to traditional drinks.

While most of these can be found at holiday parties and celebrations, a handful of restaurants in Chicago serve glasses of Puerto Rican coquito and Haitian krémas —alcoholic drinks made with a base of sweet and creamy coconut.

Others enjoy store-bought rompope, a Mexican drink that is similar to eggnog.

Coquito is a traditional holiday beverage served through the Epiphany on Jan. 6 made with coconut milk and cream of coconut, rum and various spices including cinnamon and nutmeg. At Marina’s Bistro and Rum Bar in Uptown, 4554 N. Magnolia Ave., coquito is sold for $14 a glass and by the bottle for pre-order for $35.

Some coquito makers might add pistachio or strawberry flavors, but Marina’s recipe keeps it classic. It’s served in a rocks glass and garnished with ground cinnamon, a cinnamon stick and whole star anise. They use white Bacardí rum for a classic taste and Bacardí Reserva Ocho (8-year-old dark rum) for a woody, spicy flavor.

Chef and owner Eric Roldán told the Sun-Times their coquito is his late mother’s recipe. It includes white pepper, an ingredient not typically found in recipes for the drink.

“Before she passed away, she had a recipe book. She taught me how to cook,” Roldán said. “One thing that she told me before she passed away was to make her proud.”

Roldán’s restaurant is named after his mom, who died of cancer when he was 11.

“She used to be the life of the party,” Roldán remembered. “I used to be next to her all the time learning how to cook. She used to let me do the ingredients for the rice.”

Although he wasn’t initially interested in making a career in the kitchen, he went to culinary school in Puerto Rico before returning to his hometown in Chicago after Hurricane Maria in 2017. He lived in Yabucoa, one of the hardest-hit towns on the southeast side of the island, for 20 years.

“I lost everything. That’s why I decided to come back to Chicago,” Roldán said. “It was just a very hard moment in my life. But everything happens for a reason.”

Haitian families in Chicago make krémas, also known as crémas or cremasse. It also has a coconut milk base and is served around the holidays, usually including sugar cane, almond, vanilla and lime.

The krémas at Lior’s Cafe, 10500 S. Halsted St. in Washington Heights, is a secret family recipe of chef Estanilla Vielliard.

“It’s widely created back in Haiti,” said manager Brandon Lenore. “Everybody has their own kind of spin on it.”

They’re an exclusive menu item for the holiday season at $6 per serving. The restaurant is BYOB, so customers are encouraged to bring in a bottle of authentic Haitian rum to mix with the krémas for a traditional experience —preferably Rhum Barbancourt, Lenore said.

Vielliard, who has lived in Chicago for 12 months, told a reporter through a translator that she’s always loved cooking since she was a young girl in Haiti. She moved to Chicago to join some of her family.

While the krémas might not be part of their regular menu, Lenore said though they are a small family-owned business, they’ll work to meet the holiday demand.

“It was like the South Side’s best-kept secret for a little while, but I’m glad that it’s getting some recognition,” he said. Lior’s has been open for just over a year.

“We have a lot of Haitian Chicagoans who’ve been here for decades,” Lenore said. “This is a great gathering spot for members of all communities and cultures. We pride ourselves on that shared history and experience by coming around the table for a good meal.”

In Mexican households —the largest group of Latinos in Chicago— a similar but different holiday drink can be found at the holiday table.

Rompope, an egg-based liqueur with a distinct cane sugar and vanilla flavor is added to cocktails, drizzled on desserts like jello and flan, mixed with other beverages, or made stronger with tequila or vodka.

People usually purchase the 1955 established San Luis Potosí brand Coronado Rompope found at Mexican grocery stores.

It’s been on the menu at La Vinata liquor store, at 3124 W. Cermak Rd., in Little Village each holiday season for over 30 years. Owner Gildardo Pedro noted that sales of rompope have decreased slightly over the years, but he purchases 25 cases every October to prepare for the surge.

“It reminds me of everyone being happy and sharing a moment with the family. I mean, it’s the Christmas spirit,” he said.

More specifically, it reminds him of celebrating Las Posadas, the Mexican tradition of reenacting the Biblical story of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem, with his mother and grandmother, Pedro said.