If you enjoy decadent milkshakes, there is one culturally rich cocktail you need to try. Born in Veracruz, Mexico, torito cocktails, or torito de cacahuate, include everything you love about delicious milkshakes with the addition of a few unexpected ingredients.
While it may be common to upgrade your ice cream to make thick and creamy milkshakes, torito is made with a distinct blend of shelf-stable products. A succinct blend of evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, and ice make up the base of this regional delight, followed by creamy peanut butter, vanilla, and rum.
Torito is a cocktail with a fascinating origin story. The birth of torito happened in the early 19th century when sugar cane workers in Veracruz, Mexico needed a cooling beverage to give them extra energy to finish their long work days outdoors. Over the years, this traditional drink transformed into a regional-inspired cocktail passed between families and friends.
To make your own torito at home, simply combine equal amounts of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and peanut butter in a blender. For a more pronounced peanut flavor, include a handful of toasted peanuts to your blender before mixing. From here, add a small amount of rum, vanilla, and ice. Instead of rum, you can also use aguardiente, which is a distilled Latin American spirit made from sugar cane. Blend the combined mixture until smooth, serve over extra ice, and enjoy.
There is more than one tasty way to make torito at home
If you enjoy the taste of peanut torito, consider trying more specialized flavors of this authentic drink. For a fun twist on the classic peanut variation, add some mashed ripe banana to the usual lineup of ingredients. For a more dessert-friendly drink, line your glass with chocolate syrup or extra peanut butter before serving.
If you’re set on using rum, feel free to swap out the peanut butter for fresh coconut or a cup of freshly brewed room temperature coffee. Rum has a tropical flavor that pairs well with the creamy taste of coconut. Moreover, the sweet taste of rum complements coffee’s somewhat bitter flavor profile. Conversely, if you want to change up your preferred alcohol of choice, you have another popular option.
While there are many creative ways to use tequila in desserts, you can also use tequila to make your next sweet and creamy torito. Instead of rum or aguardiente, tequila gives torito a more earthy, herbal flavor. When using tequila, swap the peanut butter for strawberry puree and a bit of lime juice. You can also make a seasonally specific torito with tequila, canned pumpkin, and warming spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
Depending on your choice of ingredients, torito can be consumed either hot or cold. Especially if you’re making the peanut variation, you can always skip the ice and blend the milk, peanut butter and alcohol for a creamy room temperature beverage.
