Thai Vietnamese Coffee Recipe

Make infused brew

In a small saucepan combine 1.5 cups of water (or use the 3 oz hot water plus additional from kettle) and the crushed cardamom pods and half star anise. Add the palm or brown sugar. Bring just to a simmer over medium heat, then remove from heat and let steep 5 minutes to infuse the spices.

Brew concentrated coffee

While spices steep, brew a small, strong batch of coffee: either make 2 tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee in a Vietnamese phin with 3 oz of near-boiling water, or pull a double shot (about 2–3 oz) of espresso. If using drip coffee, use 1.5–2 oz very strong concentrate. When brewed, combine the hot coffee with the infused spiced liquid and strain out the whole spices. You should end up with roughly 6–8 oz of spiced coffee concentrate.

Sweeten with condensed milk

Place 3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk into a heatproof measuring cup or chilled serving glass. Pour about 4–6 oz of the hot spiced coffee concentrate over the condensed milk and stir vigorously until the condensed milk is fully dissolved and integrated. Taste and add the optional 2 tablespoons evaporated milk or whole milk if you want a creamier mouthfeel.

Chill and ice

Fill a serving glass with 1 cup of crushed or cubed ice. Pour the sweetened spiced coffee over the ice. Stir once to chill and combine. The coffee should be sweet, dark, and slightly spiced with cardamom/star anise notes.

If desired, top with 2 tablespoons of lightly whipped cream and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon toasted coconut flakes. Add an orange or lime twist on the rim for a bright aromatic note. Serve immediately with a straw or spoon to mix the cream through the coffee.