Carajillo
Espresso and Licor 43 shaken together into a creamy, coffee-dark drink with vanilla and citrus sweetness.
Ingredients
- Licor 4350 ml
- Espresso, freshly brewed, preferably still hot50 ml
- Coffee bean, for garnish (optional)3 whole
Method
- Fill a rocks glass halfway with ice cubes so it chills while you make the drink.
- Brew a strong espresso and keep it hot.
- Pour the Licor 43 and hot espresso into a shaker with plenty of ice.
- Shake hard for 10–15 seconds, until the shaker is ice-cold and you can hear the ice crackle — that is what creates the fine foam.
- Discard the ice from the glass and fill it with fresh ice.
- Strain the drink into the glass so the foam settles beautifully on top.
- Garnish with a few coffee beans if you like, and serve at once.
About this drink
The Carajillo comes from Spain, where coffee workers supposedly added a splash of spirit to their coffee for courage — ‘coraje’ — before a long working day. In Mexico, the drink was reinvented with Licor 43, whose vanilla and citrus notes pair perfectly with espresso’s bitterness. The shaken version with foam on top is now the most widespread and differs from the original hot Spanish version.
Questions and answers
Why should the espresso be hot when you shake it with ice?
The hot coffee meets the cold ice and creates the distinctive foam the Carajillo is known for. If you use cold espresso instead, you get a flat, less airy drink.
Can you replace Licor 43 with something else?
Kahlúa or another coffee liqueur gives a more straightforward coffee flavour, while Licor 43 adds vanilla and citrus notes and more complexity. Both work, but Licor 43 is what this recipe is built for.