Carajillo Recipe
Adult coffee with Licor 43, espresso, cream over ice
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Garnish (optional)
Method
Cocktail
Brew and chill espresso
Brew about 2 oz of fresh espresso. If you don't have an espresso machine, make a concentrated 2 oz strong coffee. Allow it to cool slightly (30–60 seconds) so it won't melt the ice immediately — it should be hot but not scalding.
Prepare glass
Fill a rocks glass or short tumbler with 4-6 medium ice cubes, leaving some space at the top for pouring.
Combine Licor 43 and sweetener
Pour 1 oz Licor 43 over the ice. If you want the drink sweeter, add 1/4 tablespoon simple syrup at this stage and gently stir once to mix the liqueur and syrup with the ice.
Add espresso
Slowly pour the 2 oz espresso over the back of a spoon or directly over the ice so it layers lightly on the liqueur. This preserves a pleasant visual contrast between coffee and liqueur.
Float the cream
Gently pour 1 oz heavy cream (or half-and-half) over the back of a spoon so it floats on top of the espresso. For a textured top, lightly whip the cream until slightly thickened (soft peak) before floating — this will create a richer mouthfeel.
Finish and serve
Garnish with a citrus twist (lemon or orange) expressed over the drink and dropped in, plus 2 coffee beans on the cream if desired. Serve immediately with a short stirring spoon so the drinker can mix to taste.
