MxMo: Winter Warmers - Spanish Coffee
Tomorrow is Mixology Monday 11: Winter Warmers. It’s sponsored by the folks at Imbibe Magazine at their blog Imbibe Unfiltered.
Although I’ve talked about this drink before, it was nearly a year ago so I think it’s okay to repeat it. My entry takes me all the way back to my just-legal-to-drink-alcohol days and to the Oregon Coast. My then soon-to-be (now former) husband and I were tent camping when a huge rainstorm came in. It was really huge! We were pretty hardy campers and normally this sort of thing didn’t bother us - we were Oregonians, after all - but at some point we just couldn’t handle it.
We made our way into the little town of Lincoln City (which is now sort of a sprawl), found a cozy looking joint and thought we’d check it out. We sat at the bar and soon were engaged in conversation with the bartender who had recently become enamored with coffee drinks and convinced us to try a Coffee Nudge. From there we made our way around the world trying one coffee drink after another.
Since that night coffee drinks have been high on my list of warming beverages, especially when camping! My favorite both for taste and the show is the Spanish Coffee. To encrust the sugar and/or cinnamon to the rim of the glass it is fired and a good bartender knows how to make this part of your experience.
In some places they are made tableside and outside of the states, where liability laws are not so restricting, there are often extreme demonstrations.
No matter if you make is yourself or have one made for you the rich taste, creamy topping and warming coffee will have you feeling cozy in no time!
Spanish Coffee
- Sugar or a combination of Sugar and Cinnamon to rim glass
- 1 tbsp Bacardi 151
- Cinnamon
- 1 oz Brandy
- 1 oz Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
- 4 oz of Coffee (regular or decaf)
- Heavy cream, whipped until thick but not stiff
Rim glass* with sugar or sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Add the Bacardi 151 to the glass, tip the glass and light the rum. Immediately begin turning the glass so that the flame can melt the sugar around the rim. Continue turning until the sugar is caramelized.
Set the glass upright and shake in a bit of cinnamon. If your flame is still burning the cinnamon will spark a bit. Add the Brandy, Kahlua and Coffee. Gently pour whip cream on the top of the drink. Serve with a straw.
* Many types of glasses are used for this drink. I’ve seen them made in wine glasses, brandy snifters and clear glass coffee mugs. Use what you have on-hand but it should be glass and not crystal. For thinner glass, especially, keep the flame moving to ensure you don’t overheat the glass and break it.
But, you can also go with a decaf coffee for a nice evening treat, too!
I could actually, sort of, “Smell” your wonderful warming Spanish coffee. What a great idea, can’t wait to try it. Here in California where the temperatures have gotten down in the 20s, this good be an interesting way to start the day.