Coquito is a coconut tasting beverage originating from Puerto Rico, popular during the holiday season. Can be prepared with or without alcohol (rum). This one is dressed in a jibaro (traditional countryman) outfit. We can put a little description card with it about the jibaro and coquito (more info. Below). Could even add a shot glass with these and that would make a great combo.
Flavors: (original is our personal favorite)
* Chocolate
* Passion fruit
* Original
* Strawberry: made with real fruit
Jíbaro is a term used to refer to mountain people, who lived in-land in the heart of the island, and are the backbone of the Puerto Rican culture.
In 1820, Miguel Cabrera, a poet from Arecibo, writes Coplas del Jíbaro. In 1835 xibaro surfaces in French and American documents. In 1849, Dr. Manuel Alonzo, published his book, Gibaro (old Spanish). It is obvious from these writing that jíbaro referers to rustic life or lifestyle, and that the term is common in the island.
Jíbaro means People of the Forest in the Taíno language. So the term obviously came with them as they immigrated from South America. However jíbaro – as is used in Puerto Rico, is not used the same in Cuba or the Dominican Republic, which were populated with the very same Taíno people.
Early Puerto Rico was a thick bosque with very few and far between roads. It was easier to take a boat to get to the other side of the island than to travel across. This isolated the jíbaros and helped to develop their distinct identity. Municipios were isolated areas and travel between municipios was not common. Each town was founded with a Catholic church as the heart of the town, and a plaza in front. Each town had its own patron saint. Yearly Patron Saint fiestas (Fiestas Patronales) were celebrated in each town. People looked forward to these yearly patron saint festivals and to navidad celebrations. They labored from dawn to dusk, daily, and looked forward to these celebrations.
