I did not even know today is National Coffee Day when I made a quick little video on how to make Spanish Coffee this morning! All the more reason to read on and make yourself a quick cuppa before the day is done!
What is Spanish Coffee?
Spanish Coffee is basically coffee + liqueur + cream. Sounds like camping coffee to me, but we can go ahead and call it “Spanish” since that’s how you’ll find it in Google. I have no idea why it’s called Spanish, though. I don’t think people in Spain necessarily drink coffee like this. I suspect it happened when someone wanted to make their morning treat sound fancy!
What is in Spanish Coffee?
You can use espresso or any coffee you like as your base for this breakfast bevvie. I used Starbucks Via since that’s what I drink on the regular. I’m the only coffee drinker in my house and though I have a French press, I’m usually too lazy to use it. I used half and half cream but you could also use fat free,18% coffee cream, or heavy cream. For the liqueurs, most recipes for Spanish Coffee call for some combination of the following three:
- Cointreau, Triple Sec or Amaretto
- Brandy or Rum
- Kahlua or Tia Maria
Use what you have and experiment with quantities. I can’t imagine any of the combinations would taste bad but I’m willing to experiment over the next several Saturdays to be sure! 😉
How do you make Spanish Coffee?
- Rub a lemon wedge along the rim of your cup or glass then dip in sugar.
- Fill cup about half way with coffee.
- Add the liqueur {choose one from each category above} for a total of about 2 ounces. I used an ounce of Amaretto, 1/2 ounce of Kahlua, 1/4 ounce each of spiced rum and brandy.
- Add an ounce of cream.
- Fill the cup with boiling water or more brewed coffee.
- Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg.
That’s it! This is a warm, soothing, delicious beverage to have on a relaxed weekend morning or after dinner – though you might want to switch to decaf then!
Hope you try it and when you do, hope you enjoy it!
xoxo Nicole
1 Comment
Spanish Coffee has been a favorite of mine since I discovered it on vacation last year. The hotel where we stayed served it. Now I make it at home. I make mine with coffee, cream, brandy and Kahlua. I never thought of adding Cointreau, Triple Sec or Amaretto, I will have to give that a try this weekend. For me, it doesn’t matter if I use decaf or regular. The alcohol counteracts the caffeine and it knocks me out for the night. Delish drink.