Nachos and Coquito

Some pairings make sense immediately — wine and cheese, Abbott and Costello, bad decisions and regret. But every once in a while, something unexpected just works.

Coquito, for the uninitiated, is Puerto Rico’s answer to eggnog — creamy, coconut-based, sweet with cinnamon and nutmeg, and just strong enough to make you believe in miracles. And somehow, it pairs beautifully with nachos.

Not just any nachos, though. You can’t throw this drink next to ground beef and fluorescent cheese sauce. You need balance. Warm, subtle, confident nachos. The kind that can handle sweetness without losing themselves. Lightly salted plantain or thin tortilla chips. A touch of cotija for salt, roasted pork for depth, pineapple pico de gallo for brightness. A drizzle of coconut crema and a sprinkle of toasted coconut flakes, just enough to remind you that this is technically festive behavior.

The warmth of the drink meets the spice of the jalapeño like they’ve been waiting for each other. The coconut softens the heat, the salt keeps the sweetness honest, and the rum ties everything together like a good plot twist. It shouldn’t make sense — dairy on dairy crime, sweet meets savory — but it does. It’s the holidays. Logic doesn’t apply here.

I’ve decided this is my new December ritual: a plate of Coquito Nachos, a glass of the real thing, and the quiet satisfaction of knowing that sometimes harmony comes from contradiction. The world’s a little better when you let things mingle that shouldn’t.