Coffee Cocktails

Coffee Cocktail Reawakening

While once a staple of fine dining, so-called special coffees (spiked, hot brews that are typically served after dinner) are cresting a caffeinated wave of popularity. Yet like their close cousin, the popular Espresso Martini, they can also be served chilled. Add to that entertaining flexibility the idea that you can switch out the spirit or the sweet and creamy elements, plus personalize everything from the garnish to the glassware, and these drinks offer almost infinite variations on creating and sharing winter coziness.

Brandy Carajillo

Long before the Spanish Coffee, there was the Carajillo, a simple, spiked espresso drink that’s served all over Spain. Different regions have slightly different recipes but, in Castellón, a province in eastern Spain, it’s common for the waiter to prepare it tableside, a show that involves lighting the brandy on fire and swirling it around the glass to caramelize the sugar rim. Pair it with a no-bake cookie that looks like charcuterie when sliced, for a wholly original tapas cocktail hour!

Recipe

1 oz warm brandy
1 oz Chambord Royale
½ oz maple syrup
1 pinch ground cinnamon
¼ tsp (1 mL) vanilla extract
2 oz espresso
2 tbsp (30 mL) demerara sugar or granulated white sugar
Lemon zest

1. Partly rim an espresso cup with sugar, leaving a sugar-free gap on the rim for guests who don’t have a sweet tooth. (To do this, run a lemon wedge round ¾ of the cup’s rim then dip in a saucer of sugar).

2. Warm the brandy in a saucepan or microwave and add it to the cup. Add Chambord, maple syrup, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir briefly and fill with fresh, hot espresso. Express the oils from a lemon twist over top and serve.

Makes 1 drink

The story of the Café Carajillo

The Carajillo’s rich mythology is tied to the history of Spanish-speaking countries. One story has it created by Spanish soldiers fighting in Cuba more than a century ago, mixing local rum with hot coffee to give them coraje (courage), the drink’s root word. Another tale traces it 19th-century Barcelona cafés, where hurried workers would order spirit-enriched coffee “que ara guillo” (spoken quickly, sounds like “carajillo”). Versions of the Carajillo are served in many Latin American countries, and around the world, with different local ingredients.

Variations on a theme

Make it modern

Dairy Free

Use a handheld or espresso-machine foamer to whip up a topping from your favourite warmed alternative milk: oat milk foams well.

Lower Fat

Substitute a lower-fat dairy whip, or choose a plant-based whip (such as coconut milk or vegetable oil whipped topping) with lower fat content.

Just Sweet Enough

Add honey and agave or maple syrup, or even stevia or artificial sweeteners, to taste, to balance coffee’s bitter note.

The garnish game

Sweet Nostalgia

Float your favourite breakfast cereal (light, puffed types work best) on the whip or foam topping a hot or cold special coffee drink.

Campfire Magic

Use a culinary or candle-lighting torch to gently toast a marshmallow; pierce it with a non-flammable pick to make it easier to perch on the glass and eat.