How to use coconut milk, water and meat in cocktails

Coconuts are a popular culinary ingredient in cultures from South Asia to Latin America. Used in everything from dressings and ceviche to curries and ice cream, the fruit of the coconut palm is often praised by chefs for its versatility.

“The beauty of a coconut is that we can use so many parts: the water, the sponge, the meat in it,” says Curtis Duffy, executive chef at Ever Restaurant and its cocktail bar After Lounge in Chicago. “With a young coconut you can use the meat as a side dish. You can roast, shave and smoke the meat. You can rub it on the table. There’s no limit to what you can do with it.”

Coconut milk

Coconut’s countless uses are probably why mixologists around the world consider it a staple ingredient in their bars. At Thunderbolt in Los Angeles, owner-operator Michael Capoferri uses coconut oil as a grease wash for cocktails like the P-Town Boxing Club, a twist on an old-fashioned cocktail with coconut-washed rye, pandan liqueur, and bitters. He uses coconut milk as a plant-based alternative in clarified milk punches and homemade coconut cream in flash mixers or frozen drinks like the Koji Killer, which contains an umami punch made from shio koji (a Japanese spice). “Coconut as a flavoring is very suitable for both sweet and savory applications. It’s a super malleable and relatively inexpensive ingredient,” says Capoferri.

He says his favorite coconut cocktail at Thunderbolt is the Pastelito, a plant-based, carbonated milk punch created by bartender Wes Meyn and inspired by the ubiquitous guava cheese Danes from LA bakeries. “The coconut provides the texture and milky flavor, which is reminiscent of cream cheese,” explains Capoferri. He adds that coconut milk is “a lifesaver” in this type of milk punch, which is better suited to vegan or dairy-averse customers.