Area 31’s eggless, rum-spiked, and chilled “Caribbean” eggnog is as unorthodox as Miami's sultry winters.
Area 31’s eggnog combines elements of the drink’s Cuban and Puerto Rican renditions for a flavor that’s uniquely Miami.
Coquito, crema de vie, eggnog—regardless of its appellation, the ubiquitous holiday beverage made of whipped eggs, milk, a spice or two, and spirits, has many iterations. At Area 31, head bartender Dean Feddaoui takes eggs out of the equation and uses Miami’s proximity to the Caribbean as an invitation to get creative. The result? A cool seasonal cocktail worth celebrating.
As a native of North Africa, Feddaoui never had eggnog as a kid. “When I moved to New York, it was the go-to drink during snow storms,” he remembers. “But here, we don’t have that.” Instead, Feddaoui has taken cues from Puerto Rico’s and Cuba’s renditions of the holiday classic and borrowed elements from both the coquito and crema de vie to make the traditional drink Miami-appropriate.
A mix of coconut cream and coconut oil, condensed and evaporated milk, and dulce de leche (top) is chilled overnight with wintry spices, before being poured over the 80-proof silver rum.
Shellback Rum from Barbados puts out an 80-proof silver rum that hits high notes of vanilla, which Feddaoui magnifies by splitting five Tahitian vanilla beans and letting them soak in the bottle overnight. “What goes better with South Florida’s Latin community than coconut?” asks Feddaoui. He replaces traditional egg with coconut cream and coconut oil, along with condensed and evaporated milk, and some house-made dulce de leche. He heats the ingredients together, then seasons with nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and star anise. The mix is refrigerated overnight, giving the flavors a chance to blend.
Feddaoui pours the rum over ice, then adds the Caribbean mix and stirs it all up into a creamy comfort drink. Next, he uses a whipper filled with coquito and liquid nitrogen, and garnishes the drink with a dollop of foam that’s something akin to coconut and dulce de leche whipped cream. A pinch of ground cinnamon and nutmeg, along with shaved toasted coconut, acts as the cherry on top of this holiday treat.
The first sip can pack a punch, before the ice softens the experience. From there, the drink gets increasingly gentle and sweet. “Makes you feel like the holidays are happening in Miami, doesn’t it?” says Feddaoui. 270 Biscayne Blvd. Way, Miami, 305-424-5234