Isa's Cola de Mono

Cook time: 45 min
Servings: 16
Yield: 16 servings

Description

This is a traditional Chilean Christmastime drink of milk flavored with coffee and spices, passed down to me by our Chilean nanny Isa. It is delicious, and a must-try if you don't care for egg-nog. The recipe can be varied to suit your tastes - be creative with the proportions of coffee, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla, as well as with your choice of liqueurs.

Ingredients

20 whole cloves
5 cinnamon sticks
1 cup water
1 gallon cold milk
1/4 cup instant coffee granules
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup pisco, white rum, brandy, or other lightly-flavored liquor

Directions

1 Gently simmer the cloves and cinnamon sticks in water until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Add 1 cup of milk, and heat to a simmer, then stir in and dissolve the coffee and sugar.
2 Strain the coffee mixture into the remaining cold milk, and discard the cloves and cinnamon sticks. Stir in the vanilla extract and pisco. Store in the refrigerator.