By Liam Bouza
As the end of the semester rapidly approaches, Barry students are beaming with excitement for the impending holiday season. With the “Hallo” part of Hallo-thanksmas over, students are looking forward to the season of turkey and Santa Claus.
At Barry, there is an array of cultures that make the holiday spirit bright. With around 37 percent of the Barry community being Hispanic, another 36 percent being Black or African American, and another 14 percent being white, there are tons of traditions spreading at Barry that mean there is never a dull moment when it comes to the holidays.
Regarding Christmas, the biggest debate among students is the age-old war between the big three: Coquito, Sorrel, and Eggnog.
Each is an alcoholic holiday drink from different cultures. Eggnog is a dairy-based drink containing egg-whites, Puerto egg-yolks, cream, sugar, milk, and bourbon.
Coquito, or “Little Coconut,” is a Puerto Rican drink, occasionally known as the Puerto Rican Eggnog. It is rum-based, with creamy coconut milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Every Puerto Rican knows Coquito, and it is likely that they either know someone who has a secret recipe or they have one themselves.
Sorrel is a Jamaican drink that contains sorrel, or dried hibiscus, ginger, orange, cinnamon, and water. Just like Coquito, the drink is rum-based, and various Jamaican families have their own recipes for pulling off a good Sorrel.
Many Hispanics within the Barry community defend Coquito as the best holiday drink. For them, this is the drink that accentuates festivities like Nochebuena, or Christmas Eve, and Three Kings Day. Three Kings Day is a Hispanic holiday which celebrates the revelation of God incarnate as Jesus Christ.
For Barry’s Hispanic community and beyond, Coquito sets the tone for these celebrations.
Diego Espada, a freshman sports management major, is passionate about this.
“Coquito is the best holiday drink out there and I will hear nothing about anything else,” said Espada.
This is not to say that the other factions will go quietly into the night. Many people, like Chrystepher Lopez, a freshman theater major, have taken a hard look at Coquito and have claimed that Eggnog is the best holiday drink.
“[Eggnog is] the typical movie drink,” said Lopez.
“You see it in every Christmas movie, and it really makes you get into the spirit of Christmas.”
On the other hand, Janell Campbell, a freshman theater major, said that if she had to pick, she would choose “Sorrel every day, all day.”
However, Campbell did admit that she has never tried Coquito before and is willing to give it a chance--even though she doubts it would be as good as Sorrel.
Senior marketing major Veronica Ospina believes the feud is not only about the best drink, but how the drinks bring the spirit of the holidays together. She believes Coquito does this best.
“[Coquito] is best when drank with friends and family,” said Ospina. “You miss out if you don’t share it with someone you care about.”
Although the debate is still ongoing, it is clear that the holidays certainly have a way of bringing out the competitive and compassionate sides of all cultures. One thing everyone has in common is the desire to cherish the holiday season.