A great alternative to Coco Lopez that's a bit easier to mix.
Syrups are one of the things that make Tiki drinks difficult to construct at standard bars. They aren't difficult to make but there are a lot of them and you always seem to be lacking the one you need for the drink you want! Pre-made mixes were designed to replace this chore and take it from me, a pre-mix made daiquiri, margarita, or piña colada all taste great... as long as you've never had a real one.
Speaking of piña coladas, they require cream of coconut and for my money, nothing is better than the original Coco Lopez. However, Coco Lopez is quite thick and contains a lot of coconut oil. In a frozen drink like a piña colada this is fine as the ice suspends the oils. But if you've ever tried to use it in a flash blended or God forbid a shaken drink you know it doesn't always play nice. Martin Cate of Smuggler's Cove has a coconut cream syrup that he uses at his restaurants that solves many of these issues while opening up possibilities of adding a bit of creamy coconut to a myriad of drinks that wouldn't stand up to Coco Lopez. It's probably the most used syrup I make (especially once my son started using it in smoothies). The recipe has some odd portions but that is due to the fact that you use coconut milk which tends to come in 13.5 ounce cans. I recommend using Thai Kitchen Organic Coconut milk. It comes in a "lite" version but it tends to separate in the bottle more than the regular version. If you use coconut milk that does not come in a 13.5 oz. can, the syrup is essentially 2:1 Simple Syrup mixed 1:1 with coconut milk and a dash of salt.
I then bottle the mix in bottles with swing top stoppers. It will keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. If you remember as well as I do, label the bottle with an expiration date.
SC Coconut Cream
Source - Martin Cate, Smuggler's Cove
1 (13.5 oz) can of coconut milk
9 ounces of sugar
4 1/2 ounces water
1/4 tsp salt
Heater water to near boiling. Add to sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Add the can of coconut milk (you may need to scrape the sides to get it all) Add salt and mix. I often use an immersion blender but an electric mixer or whisk will do the trick. Bottle and refrigerate.
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