Coffee Drink
Carajillo: Hot Brandy Coffee and Iced Licor 43 Recipes
A carajillo pairs coffee with a spirit or liqueur. Choose a small, warming brandy coffee or the sweeter iced Licor 43 style, with its vanilla-citrus flavor and fine foam when shaken.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- ~75 mg reference36 g generic prepared espressoCoffee and extraction change the caffeine estimate.
- Calories
- 70 kcalEstimated hot base, without optional sugar or peelUses BNIC typical 40% cognac and generic espresso. Other brandies can differ.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 1 hot cup: 36 g prepared espresso + 30 ml (1 US fl oz) cognac at 40% ABV
- Made with
- Prepared espresso and cognac or brandy
- Sugar
- 0 g sugar added at mixing. Without the optional sugar. This does not establish zero total or added sugar in the bottled spirit; the cognac reference does not publish a sugar value.
- Preparation
- About 5 minutes
30 ml (1 US fl oz) of a 40% ABV spirit contains 12 ml pure alcohol. Adding 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar adds an estimated 16 kcal and 4 g sugar. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Choose hot brandy carajillo for aromatic warmth, or the iced Licor 43 style for a sweeter vanilla-citrus finish.
- 2Shaking the iced version gives a fine foam cap; stirring leaves a clearer surface.
- 3When ordering, name both the spirit and the serving style so the cup matches what you want.
On This Page9 Sections
What Does Carajillo Taste Like?
A hot brandy carajillo is compact and warming, with roasted coffee bitterness followed by the spirit’s aroma. The optional additions change the finish: lemon peel gives a brighter scent, while sugar softens the bitter edge. The coffee and brandy remain more direct than in a long, milky drink.
The iced Licor 43 version is sweeter and silkier, combining espresso with vanilla, citrus and gentle spice. Shaking adds an airy surface, and melting ice gradually lightens the concentrated liquid underneath. I prefer the iced version when I want a dessert cocktail because its vanilla-citrus sweetness gives the coffee a softer finish.
Hot Carajillo Recipe
Hot Brandy Carajillo
Cognac is one type of brandy. Choose a bottle you enjoy in a mixed drink and check its strength; this home recipe uses a 40% ABV cognac.
Recipe
Hot Brandy Carajillo
- Makes:
- 1 small cup
- Time:
- 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 36 g freshly prepared espresso
- 30 ml (1 US fl oz) cognac at 40% ABV, or another brandy
- 4 g (1 US tsp) granulated sugar, optional
- 1 small strip lemon peel, optional
Equipment
- 100–120 ml (3.4–4.1 US fl oz) heatproof cup
- Espresso maker, scale and millilitre measure
- Spoon
Method
- Warm the 100–120 ml (3.4–4.1 US fl oz) cup with hot water, then empty it. Measure 30 ml (1 US fl oz) cognac.
- Prepare and weigh 36 g espresso. Dissolve the optional 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar in the hot coffee.
- Stir the espresso and cognac together in the warm cup. If using lemon peel, bend it over the drink and add it. Serve warm without igniting.
Estimated nutrition: 70 kcal. Per serving, using 40% cognac and no optional sugar.
Recipe notes
The unsweetened cognac base is estimated at 70 kcal and 75 mg caffeine. Optional sugar adds 16 kcal.
Recipe contains alcohol; coffee does not cancel its effects.
The 36 g portion is prepared espresso in the cup. The espresso brewing method can help you produce that portion; our espresso drink guide explains the serving. A concentrated moka-pot coffee is a workable substitution, but it changes the method and makes the espresso caffeine reference less applicable.
Hot Carajillo vs. Iced Licor 43 Carajillo
Swipe to see all columnsScroll to see all columns
| Detail | Hot recipe on this page | Iced Licor 43 variation |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee portion | 36 g prepared espresso | 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) prepared espresso |
| Alcohol ingredient | 30 ml (1 US fl oz) cognac at 40% ABV | 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) Licor 43 Original at 31% ABV |
| Sweetening | Optional 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar | Liqueur already sweetens it |
| Method | Stir in a warmed cup | Shake cooled coffee and liqueur with ice |
| Serving | Small heatproof cup | Rocks glass over fresh ice |
For the iced version, measure 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) prepared espresso and 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) Licor 43 Original. Let the coffee cool to room temperature or below. Add both to a cocktail shaker with ice, close it and shake briefly until chilled. Strain over fresh ice in a 250 ml (8.5 US fl oz) rocks glass, leaving headroom. No shaker? Stir the cooled ingredients with ice; the surface will be less foamy.
The equal-volume quantities come from Licor 43’s Spain recipe, which specifies 5 cl of each. Its international page instead specifies 50 ml liqueur and one espresso without defining the shot volume. The cooled-coffee handling here is our home adaptation.
For another regional use of Licor 43, Cartagena's café asiático combines coffee with condensed milk, brandy and the liqueur, finished with cinnamon and lemon peel. Its layered, sweetened serving has different quantities from this iced carajillo.
Adjusting Hot and Iced Carajillos
| Problem | What to change next time |
|---|---|
| Hot drink feels too spirit-forward | Reduce the brandy portion; do not add more alcohol to compensate for harsh coffee. |
| Hot coffee is bitter | Adjust the espresso first. Optional sugar changes sweetness but does not fix a poor extraction. |
| Iced drink is too sweet | Start with less liqueur, for example 30 ml (1 US fl oz) with the same 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) coffee. This also reduces the alcohol portion. |
| Iced drink becomes watery | Start with cooled coffee and fresh ice; avoid leaving it standing after shaking. |
| Little foam after shaking | Use fresh espresso, cool it promptly and shake with ice. |
When ordering, ask for the style and spirit: hot with brandy, or iced with Licor 43.
One Name, Two Familiar Styles
The Spanish dictionary definition of carajillo centers on hot coffee mixed with a spirit. Licor 43’s iced espresso cocktail has developed a distinct identity too: the maker describes it as its most popular drink in Mexico and presents it in Spain as a cocktail for sobremesa, the time spent at the table after a meal.
That range is useful when reading a menu. A hot coffee with brandy and a cold, shaken Licor 43 cocktail share the name, but offer different sweetness, aroma and texture. A small caffè corretto is another coffee-and-spirit relative; espresso martinis and cream-topped Spanish coffee cocktails have their own ingredient combinations.
Carajillo Caffeine, Alcohol and Sugar
The hot recipe, with 36 g espresso and 30 ml (1 US fl oz) 40% cognac, is estimated at 70 kcal and 75 mg reference caffeine, before optional sugar.
| What changes? | Effect for this defined hot recipe |
|---|---|
| Add 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar | Estimated addition: 16 kcal and 4 g sugar; 85 kcal after rounding the total |
| Change the brandy | Use the selected bottle’s ABV and nutrition |
| Use decaf espresso | Much less caffeine, but not necessarily zero; alcohol remains |
| Switch to the iced recipe | Recalculate both ingredients; the 70 kcal and ~75 mg figures no longer apply |
The hot recipe has no sugar added during mixing; the cognac source lists carbohydrate without a total-sugar value. For the iced version, Systembolaget lists 38.1 g sugar per 100 ml of Licor 43 Original. The recipe’s 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) liqueur portion therefore contributes an estimated 19 g sugar, before any separate sweetener. This is the liqueur’s sugar contribution, not a whole-drink calorie estimate.
Alcohol is separately calculable from the stated bottles: 30 ml × 40% = 12 ml pure alcohol in the hot recipe; 50 ml × 31% = 15.5 ml in the iced version. These are alcohol amounts, not the finished drink’s ABV. Caffeine does not reduce alcohol’s effects.
Serving calculation and sources
For the hot base, USDA generic espresso has 212 mg caffeine and 9 kcal per 100 g. Multiplying by 0.36 gives 76 mg caffeine and 3 kcal; we round the caffeine display to 75 mg. BNIC lists 67 kcal per 30 ml of typical 40% cognac, giving an estimated 70 kcal combined.
Common Questions
Does a carajillo have to use Licor 43?
No. The hot coffee-and-spirit meaning is broader. Licor 43 identifies the particular sweet iced variation shown here.
Can I make it without an espresso machine?
Yes. Start with 36 g (1.3 oz) prepared moka-pot coffee for the hot recipe, or 50 ml (1.7 US fl oz) for the iced version, then combine with the other ingredients as described. Use the linked moka-pot guide above for brewing.
Should carajillo be shaken or stirred?
Stir the hot recipe. Shake the cooled iced version if you want a foamy surface, or stir it over ice for a simpler presentation.
Is carajillo served with milk or cream?
Both recipes are made without dairy.
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
8 references
External links open in a new tab
Styles and preparation
- Meaning of carajilloReal Academia Española · Dictionary definition of hot coffee mixed with a spirit.(opens in a new tab)
- Carajillo 43: Spain recipeLicor 43 · This regional page specifies 5 cl espresso and 5 cl liqueur; the iced variation follows those quantities.(opens in a new tab)
- Carajillo 43: international recipeLicor 43 · Uses 50 ml liqueur and one unspecified espresso; confirms that published portions differ.(opens in a new tab)
- Original liqueur and ABVLicor 43 · 31% ABV for Original; manufacturer flavor descriptions.(opens in a new tab)
Serving estimates
- Licor 43 Original sugarSystembolaget · 38.1 g sugar per 100 ml; used for the 50 ml iced-recipe liqueur subtotal.(opens in a new tab)
- Typical cognac nutritionBureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac · 67 kcal per 30 ml at 40% ABV.(opens in a new tab)
- Generic espresso referenceUSDA FoodData Central · SR Legacy 171891: 212 mg caffeine and 9 kcal per 100 g.(opens in a new tab)
- Alcohol and caffeineCDC · Caffeine does not reduce alcohol’s effects.(opens in a new tab)