This fancy and sweet Spanish coffee is perfect to serve for your next dessert cocktail. This one even has a sweet caramelized rim.
What is a Spanish Coffee?
A Spanish coffee is a combination of Kahlua, 151 rum, triple sec, hot coffee and an optional caramelized sugar rim. This warm coffee cocktail is extremely sweet has a strong coffee flavor and a small hint of citrus as it goes down.
Kahlua is a very sweet coffee flavored liqueur. It adds a nice sweetness to this drink and doubles down on the coffee flavor.
Triple sec is an orange flavored liqueur. It is made by steeping orange peels in a neutral spirit. It adds a nice little citrus flavor to this drink.
You can use any brewing method to make your coffee for this coffee cocktail. We do recommend using a high quality coffee bean and a strong brew.
151 rum is basically an overproof or very high alcohol content rum. It is used in this drink to help light the sugar rim on fire. This allows it to caramelize.
When to Make This Drink:
This warm coffee cocktail is nice to serve as a centerpiece drink at occasions such as:
- cocktail hour
- holidays or celebrations
- after dinner drinks
- brunch
Variations:
If you need to change a few things up in this drink, here are some things you can try:
- Substitute the Kahlua. You can use any type of coffee flavored liqueur, does not have to be Kahlua. For example, you can try something like Tia Maria.
- Add a garnish. Make this extra rich in decadent by adding a large dollop of whipped cream and some nutmeg.
- Make it decaf. Looking to serve this one in the evening? Cut the caffeine out by using decaffeinated coffee.
- Substitute the triple sec. You can use a different type of orange liqueur if you want. Cointreau or Grand Marnier are also good choices.
A few similar coffee cocktails are: Mexican spiked coffee, Brandy Coffee and Russian coffee.
How to make this drink:
This drink is a little fancy especially if you choose to do the caramelized rim. However, you can still get this one made up in 10 minutes or less.
Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 1.5 oz Kahlua
- .5 oz 151 Rum
- .5 oz Triple Sec
- 4 – 5 oz Coffee
- sugar (optional rim)
- whipped cream (optional garnish)
Instructions:
Step one
Gather up everything necessary to make this drink including hot coffee, 151 rum, Kahlua, triple sec, simple syrup or lemon wedge, sugar, saucer, rocks glass, jigger, kitchen torch or lighter.
Step two
Brew up a hot pot of coffee using your favorite coffee bean and favorite brewing method.
Step three
Get your glass rimmed with sugar. Do this by spreading a thin layer of simple syrup on one half of a saucer. And then spreading sugar on the other half of the saucer.
Place the glass rim down first in a simple syrup rolling it back and forth so it is coated. And next in the sugar again rolling it back and forth so it is coated.
Step four
If you want to caramelize the rim now is the time. You have a couple of options. First, you can use a simple kitchen torch to apply heat to the sugar rim until it caramelizes.
The other option, is to add the 151 in triple sec into the glass. And then light them on fire with a lighter. Then, tilt the flaming liquor around the glass as it heats the sugar rim.
Whichever method you try, please do be careful as fire can be dangerous.
Step Five
Use a jigger to measure out one and a half ounces of Kahlua. Add that to the glass.
Step Six
If you didn’t add this during caramelizing the rim. Measure out .5 oz of triple sec and add it to the glass.
Step Seven
If you didn’t add this during caramelizing the rim. Measure out 0.5 oz of 151 rum and add it to the glass.
Step Eight
Measure out 4-5 oz of coffee with a jigger. Then, add that to the glass.
Pro tip: instead of measuring the coffee, you can for it directly into the glass to fill it up.
If desired, stir well with a bar spoon and add a large dollop of whipped cream.
Recipe
Spanish Coffee
Equipment
- jigger
- Rocks glass
- Coffee Pot
- Lighter or Kitchen Torch
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Kahlua
- .5 oz 151 Rum
- .5 oz Triple Sec
- 4 – 5 oz Coffee
- Sugar (optional garnish)
- simple syrup (optional garnish)
- whipped cream (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Brew up a pot of coffee using your favorite method.
- If you want to a a sugar or caramelized sugar rim, now is the time. There are a few ways to do this:1) Pour a thin layer of sugar on a saucer. and a thin layer of simple syrup next to the sugar.2) Roll the rim of the glass around in the simple syrup and then in the sugar.
- If you want to caramelize the sugar you can use a kitchen torch or a lighter. With either way you need to be careful that you don't get burned or break your glass.1) If using a lighter, you should roll a tiny amount of 151 around on the edge of the glass and then light that on fire to caramelize the sugar. This is a little less controlled than the torch method.2) To use the kitchen torch, simply apply the fire to the sugar and go around the rim while it caramelizes.
- Measure 1.5 oz of Kahlua with the jigger and toss into the glass.
- Measure .5 oz of triple sec with the jigger and toss into the glass.
- Measure .5 oz of 151 rum with the jigger and toss into the glass.
- Measure 4 – 5 oz of coffee with the jigger and toss into the glass. Or, you can just pour the coffee directly in the glass to top if off.
- If desired, you can add a large dollop of whipped cream on top.
Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.
Leave a Reply