A Carajillo is one of my favourite answers to the question, “What should we make with coffee after dinner?”
Mine combines espresso, Licor 43 and ice. The coffee brings depth; the liqueur brings sweetness and warmth. It looks like you made an effort, which is lovely when the actual effort is about five minutes.
To make one Carajillo 43: combine one shot of espresso with one shot of Licor 43, shake briefly with ice and strain over fresh ice. No shaker? Stir them together in a glass of ice. That’s the drink.
My Carajillo 43 recipe
Makes: 1 drink
Prep time: About 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 shot espresso, about 30 ml (1 oz)
- 30 ml (1 oz) Licor 43, or a little more if you prefer a sweeter drink
- Ice
- Optional: a strip of orange peel or a light dusting of cinnamon
Method
- Brew the espresso. I like a coffee with enough body and depth to hold its own beside Licor 43.
- Add the espresso and Licor 43 to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake briefly, then strain into a small glass filled with fresh ice.
- Taste before adding anything sweet. Licor 43 already brings plenty of sweetness. If you like, finish with orange peel or a little cinnamon.
No cocktail shaker? Pour the espresso and Licor 43 into a glass filled with ice and stir. That’s how I’d make it when I want the drink without washing another thing.
Licor 43’s own Carajillo recipe uses espresso, ice and 50 ml of liqueur. I use a smaller starting pour because I like the coffee to stay prominent. You can adjust yours after the first sip.
Which coffee would I use?
For this drink, I’d start with Sunnyside. Its medium-dark profile has the depth I want with the sweet liqueur, without asking the espresso to disappear into it.
Making this recipe? Get the coffee I’d use: Sunnyside. We roast it to order in Calgary, and you can select whole bean or a grind for the way you brew. If you have an espresso machine and want to compare profiles, you can also browse our espresso coffees.
Can I make a Carajillo without an espresso machine?
Yes. Use 30–45 ml of strong brewed coffee in place of the espresso, and start with the same amount of Licor 43. Taste, then adjust. A much larger pour of brewed coffee—such as the 3–4 ounces in my old recipe—makes a different, more coffee-forward drink and may need a different balance of ice and liqueur.
If your hot coffee melts the ice more than you’d like, let it cool briefly before mixing. You do not need to wait until it is completely cold; the shaker and ice do that work quickly.
Is the Carajillo’s origin story settled?
No. There are stories connecting its name to coraje, the Spanish word for courage, and to soldiers in Cuba. I included one of those stories in the original version of this post, but I cannot verify it as the definite origin of the drink. I’d rather share it as a story than give you a colourful history lesson I can’t stand behind.
What I can tell you is why I make this version: it is simple, it is delicious, and it gives good coffee a place at the end of a meal.
Cheers,
Adriana