- Recipes
The best recipes for boozy coffee – our top 10.
When I read “boozy coffee”, I am always reminded of my grandmother and her sisters enjoying a Rüdesheim coffee on Sunday afternoons – in the proper ornate cups, of course, which I bought at the local china store for all their birthdays, against my better judgment. The ladies’ coffee party became quite boisterous after the second round at the latest, and only occasionally could you hear one of them complaining quietly that her girdle was pinching. Well then…
Kristin Oldenburg
IN 10TH PLACE:
The Rüdesheimer Coffee
It is one of, if not THE classic coffee with alcohol – and contains the maximum amount of calories. But it is probably part of the (at least German) coffee culture. It most probably got its name from the Rüdesheim brandy producer Asbach, who is said to have commissioned the recipe.
You need:
- 4.2 hot, strong coffee
- 1.4 fl oz brandy or cognac
- 3 sugar cubes
- whipped cream
- chocolate shavings
How it’s done:
Heat the brandy (do not boil!) and prepare the coffee, place the sugar in a tall cup. Pour the brandy over the sugar cubes and flambé, then pour in the coffee, top with the whipped cream and – if you like – add chocolate shavings. Wow… Well-deserved for anyone who has had a long, long walk.
IN 9th PLACE:
The Pharisee's Coffee
It supposedly comes from North Frisia, Germany. Because a particularly zealous priest there “condemned” alcohol, the islanders (Amrum and Nordstrand can’t agree on the authorship here, by the way) simply drank their rum in their coffee. When the priest found out, he is said to have shouted “Oh, you Pharisees!” and – bang! – the fine coffee had its name. Other than the Rüdesheim coffee, the Pharisee is drunk from a regular cup (otherwise the priest would have figured it out earlier).
You need:
- 1-2 sugar cubes
- 1-1.4 fl oz brown rum
- 4.2 fl oz strong drip coffee
- fresh cream, unsweetened
Preparation:
Whip the cream until stiff, warm up the rum. Pour the sugar into the preheated (!) cup, pour over the fresh coffee, and add the rum. Top with whipped cream – and drink immediately. By the way, it is an absolute no-go to stir in the cream…
NUMBER 8 of our top 10 boozy coffees:
The Irish Coffee.
Irish coffee is very similar to the Pharisee, but (unsurprisingly) it is made with whiskey. It is also served in a glass – thick-walled, tulip-shaped.
The ingredients:
- 1.4 fl oz Irish whiskey
- 1tsp brown sugar
- 5.4 fl oz strong drip coffee
- fresh unsweetened cream, not completely whipped until stiff
The preparation:
Preheat the glass. Brew strong drip coffee. Heat the sugar and whiskey together (but do not boil!), pour into the glass and top up with hot coffee. Top with a dab of cream. And DO NOT stir.
IN 7th, 6th AND 5th PLACE:
Fiaker, Cossack Coffee, “Kaisermelange”.
This threesome comes from Austria:
The Fiaker: A mocha with rum or cognac and a dash of cream.
The Cossack Coffee: Actually, almost a punch. Heat 13.5fl oz good, dry red wine with 2.7 fl oz vodka, and 6 tablespoons of crumbled rock sugar, add 2 mulled wine spice bags and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Top up with 13.5 fl oz strong, hot coffee. Put 1 cinnamon stick each in 4 glasses and divide the Cossack Coffee between them.
And last but not least the “Kaisermelange”: Legend has it that it was created during wartime due to a lack of milk and became the emperor’s favorite. Mix an egg yolk with 1tsp of honey in a large coffee or cappuccino cup, pour a double espresso over it, and add a dash of cognac. Almost a whole meal.
In 4th PLACE of our top 10 is something veeery simple:
Carajillo or Spanish Coffee.
It is said to be enjoyed at any time of day in Spain and is nothing more than an espresso with rum. In the classic version, you can flambé it with a teaspoon of sugar and use brandy instead of rum – but you don’t have to.
Let’s go to the Netherlands. IN 3RD PLACE:
The Dutch Coffee.
It is also known as diplomatic coffee and is very easy to prepare: Pour hot, strong coffee into a cup, add eggnog, and top with whipped cream. Done.
And now for our declared favorites:
Caffè Corretto in 2nd PLACE.
The best thing after lunch: A shot of grappa is added to a warm espresso cup. Sweeten with brown sugar if you like. A real treat.
And here is the unbeaten NUMBER 1 of our top 10:
Café Brûlot from New Orleans.
It is a little more complex to prepare and certainly more suitable for the evening or at least the afternoon. In any case, it puts on a good show and tastes delicious.
The ingredients:
- 1.4 fl oz cognac
- 2/3 oz cointreau
- 2 cloves
- 1/2 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp orange zest
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 4.2 fl oz strong coffee
How it is done:
Heat the alcohol, spices, and sugar – do not boil! Pour the coffee into a large, preheated glass. Flambé the hot alcohol and pour it into the coffee glass with a ladle. Very spectacular.
Which brings us to the end (or beginning) of our hit list of boozy coffees. You shouldn’t get cold now, and you’ve certainly been given enough inspiration for one or two cozy coffee afternoon highlights. Or do you still have a different declared favorite boozy coffee? Then let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear your suggestions.
