Coffee Drink
Pharisäer Coffee: Rum, Whipped Cream and a Home Recipe
Pharisäer is hot rum coffee served beneath softly whipped cream. Sweetened coffee and rum give the drink warmth, while the cool cream changes the first sips; try it unstirred before mixing the topping into the coffee.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- 70 mg reference180 g of generic regular brewed-coffee compositionUSDA’s 40 mg per 100 g gives 72 mg, rounded to 70. Optional chocolate adds a little more.
- Calories
- Estimated 225 kcalBacardi Gold 40%, coffee, sugar and creamThe named-ingredient estimate is 222.76 kcal before rounding, excluding optional chocolate.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- One mug: 180 g (6.3 oz) coffee, 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) rum, 8 g (2 US tsp) sugar and 30 g (2 US tbsp) cream
- Made with
- Brewed coffee, rum, sugar and whipped cream
- Sugar
- Estimated 8.9 g total. Includes the sugar and cream; the named rum label lists 0 g total sugar. Optional chocolate is excluded.
- Preparation
- About 8 minutes
Ingredient calculations and alcohol assumptions for the defined home serving are explained below. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Choose Pharisäer for rum’s aroma; Irish coffee uses whiskey, while Rüdesheimer Kaffee pairs brandy with vanilla cream.
- 2Keep the cream softly whipped so each sip can pass through the topping; a stiff cap is harder to drink.
- 3The rum you choose shapes the finish; an aged rum with vanilla or caramel notes gives a rounded pairing.
On This Page10 Sections
Pharisäer Coffee Recipe
Home Pharisäer Coffee
North Sea Tourism’s regional recipe uses 4 cl rum, 150 ml coffee, a tablespoon of sugar and 50 g cream. Our home version keeps the 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) spirit measure but uses a little more coffee, weighed sugar and a smaller cream cap.
Recipe
Home Pharisäer coffee
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- About 8 minutes
Ingredients
- 180 g (6.3 oz) freshly brewed hot black coffee
- 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) rum at 40% ABV
- 8 g (2 US tsp) granulated sugar
- 30 g (2 US tbsp) cold heavy whipping cream, unsweetened
- 2 g dark chocolate shavings, optional
Equipment
- Coffee brewer
- Scale and liquid measure
- Small bowl, small whisk and spoon
- 300 ml (10.1 US fl oz) heatproof mug
Method
- Warm a 300 ml (10.1 US fl oz) heatproof mug with hot water, then empty it. Whip 30 g (2 US tbsp) cold cream to soft, spoonable peaks.
- Tare the mug and weigh in 180 g (6.3 oz) hot brewed coffee. Add 8 g (2 US tsp) sugar and stir until dissolved.
- Measure 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) rum at 40% ABV and stir it into the coffee. Do not heat the rum separately.
- Spoon all the cream gently onto the coffee. Add 2 g chocolate shavings if wanted. Serve promptly and sip through the cream.
Estimated nutrition: 225 kcal · 8.9 g total sugar. Per serving, using Bacardi Gold 40% and no optional chocolate.
Use the drip-coffee method for the freshly brewed coffee base.
Leave room for the whipped topping.
For such a small cream portion, use a narrow chilled vessel and a small whisk. Alternatively, whip 60 g (¼ US cup) cream and use half of the finished batch. Air increases its volume, so measuring 30 ml after whipping would give a different amount of cream.
What Does Pharisäer Coffee Taste Like?
Pharisäer opens with cool, unsweetened cream, followed by sweetened hot coffee and the warmth of rum. The coffee gives a roasted, gently bitter counterpoint to the sugar, while the soft cream leaves a rich finish. An aged rum with vanilla or caramel notes makes the combination feel rounder; a more assertive rum will lead the aroma more strongly.
I prefer to leave the soft cream separate for the first sips because the cool topping makes the hot rum coffee feel more vivid. The optional chocolate adds a small cocoa accent. For the clearest sense of the rum and coffee together, the plain cream finish is enough.
Pharisäer vs. Irish Coffee and Rüdesheimer Kaffee
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| Drink | Spirit | Characteristic finish |
|---|---|---|
| Pharisäer | Rum | Whipped cream; chocolate may be added |
| Irish coffee | Irish whiskey | Lightly thickened, pourable cream float |
| Rüdesheimer Kaffee | Traditionally Asbach | Vanilla-sweetened cream and chocolate |
Changing rum to whiskey makes a different named preparation. Calypso coffee introduces coffee liqueur; our hot version combines it with rum and a cream float. For an uncreamed spirit-and-coffee comparison, see Karsk.
Pharisäer Coffee Caffeine, Calories and Sugar
One mug with 180 g (6.3 oz) brewed coffee, 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) Bacardi Gold 40% rum, 8 g (2 US tsp) sugar and 30 g (2 US tbsp) heavy cream has an estimated 225 kcal and 8.9 g total sugar, excluding optional chocolate. Its caffeine reference is 70 mg.
Ingredient calculations and sources
The plain recipe has a 70 mg caffeine reference: 180 g coffee × USDA’s generic 40 mg per 100 g = 72 mg. Brew strength and beans change the real amount. Two grams of 70–85% dark chocolate would add about 1.6 mg in the separate chocolate reference.
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| Ingredient in one plain serving | Estimated energy | Estimated total sugar |
|---|---|---|
| 180 g (6.3 oz) brewed coffee | 2 kcal | 0 g in the reference |
| 8 g (2 US tsp) granulated sugar | 31 kcal | 8 g |
| 30 g (2 US tbsp) heavy cream | 102 kcal | 0.9 g |
| 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) Bacardi Gold rum, 40% ABV | 88 kcal | 0 g on the producer label |
| Whole serving | 225 kcal | 8.9 g |
The alcohol calculation is 40 ml × 0.40 = 16 ml pure alcohol; multiplying by 0.789 g/ml and 7 kcal/g gives 88.4 kcal. The conversion factors cover ethanol energy. Bacardi’s Gold 40% label lists 66 kcal and 0 g total sugar per 30 ml (1 US fl oz), giving 88 kcal for the 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) portion. Using that named rum, the recipe totals 222.76 kcal and 8.86 g total sugar before rounding, without optional garnish. Two grams of dark chocolate adds roughly 12 kcal and 0.5 g sugar.
Reducing the sugar from 8 g (2 US tsp) to 4 g (1 US tsp) removes an estimated 15 kcal and 4 g sugar while leaving the same rum and caffeine. Reducing 40% rum from 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) to 20 ml (⅔ US fl oz) halves its alcohol contribution to 8 ml; it does not reduce caffeine already in the coffee.
This remains an alcoholic drink. CDC explains that caffeine does not reduce alcohol’s effects. Decaf changes the coffee contribution; it does not remove the rum.
Pharisäer Coffee Troubleshooting
| Problem | Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Cream sinks immediately | Whip to soft peaks and spoon close to the surface. |
| Topping is stiff or grainy | Stop whipping sooner; use soft folds rather than a rigid mound. |
| Undissolved sugar | Stir it into the hot coffee before adding rum and cream. |
| Too sweet | Try 4 g (1 US tsp) sugar next time; leave the cream unsweetened. |
| Rum dominates | Reduce its measured volume before changing the coffee roast. |
Choosing the Rum and Cream
Check the rum’s ABV when making Pharisäer coffee. A 54% rum in the same 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) measure contains 21.6 ml pure alcohol instead of 16 ml. Check the actual bottle and do not treat proof changes as interchangeable pours.
Use cold cream labeled suitable for whipping. Sweetened spray cream changes both the texture and sugar calculation. If you prepare a larger whipped batch, divide it by the amount of liquid cream it represents rather than trying to reproduce an exact spoonful size.
Nordstrand’s Pharisäer Story
The Pharisäerhof tells the story of an 1872 christening on Nordstrand attended by Pastor Bleyer, who disapproved of alcohol. In the inn’s account, the guests hid rum in sweet coffee beneath a cap of cream, while the pastor received an ordinary coffee. A mistaken cup revealed the trick, prompting his comparison of the guests to Pharisees and giving the drink its name.
That local tale remains part of the drink’s identity. North Sea Tourism also presents Pharisäer as a Nordstrand specialty, and the Pharisäerhof continues to serve the coffee associated with its name. The cream cap has become the instantly recognizable finish of this North Frisian rum coffee.
Common Questions
What Alcohol Goes in Pharisäer?
Rum. This home version uses 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) at 40% ABV. A different strength changes the alcohol and energy calculation, even when the measure stays the same.
Should Pharisäer Be Stirred?
Stir the coffee, sugar and rum before topping. Try sipping through the whipped cream first; mixing the topping in is a preference that changes the texture.
Can I Make It Without Alcohol?
Yes: omit the rum for a sweet coffee with whipped cream. It is an alcohol-free variation, with a different aroma and calorie total, rather than the classic rum combination.
Does the Hot Coffee Cook Off the Alcohol?
Do not assume so. This recipe adds rum directly and has no alcohol-removal process. Decaf coffee also leaves the alcohol unchanged.
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
8 references
External links open in a new tab
Nordstrand context
Serving estimates
- Brewed coffee compositionUSDA FoodData Central · Record 171890: 1 kcal and 40 mg caffeine per 100 g; generic brewed-coffee composition.(opens in a new tab)
- Heavy whipping creamUSDA FoodData Central · Record 170859: 340 kcal and 2.92 g total sugar per 100 g of liquid cream.(opens in a new tab)
- Granulated sugarUSDA FoodData Central · Record 169655: 387 kcal and 99.8 g total sugar per 100 g.(opens in a new tab)
- Dark chocolate, 70–85% cocoaPDFUSDA SR28 · NDB 19904: energy and sugar on page 315, caffeine on page 317.(opens in a new tab)
- Alcohol energy conversionDistilleria Prete · 0.789 g ethanol per ml and 7 kcal per gram; category averages are not brand labels.(opens in a new tab)