The Decadent Spanish Coffee Recipe Of Your Dreams

Spanish coffee has a long, surprisingly American history. The drink is credited to Huber's Cafe in Portland, Oregon, which also happens to be the oldest restaurant in the state. According to legend, co-owner James Louie introduced the drink to his bar menu after trying a similar one in Milwaukie, Oregon. When he tried to credit what he thought was the original developer, he learned that the drink was actually adapted from a bar in Mexico. This isn't terribly unusual — all cocktails are riffs of their classic base, and Spanish coffee seems to be inspired by the popular Mexican drink Carajillo. The difference between the two is all about the presentation: The Spanish coffee is meant to be lit on fire.

The cocktail as it is today is credited to Huber's' James Louie because of the subtle but impactful changes he made to the drink. He insists on using 151-proof rum and triple sec so that the drink can be lit with a single match with one hand, which then acts to caramelize the lemon-sugar rim. It also enhances the flavor of the spirits, which are then joined by Kahlua and coffee. Louie's recipe is specific to include nutmeg, too, which adds a nutty-sweet element to the drink. Developer Michelle McGlinn follows Louie's adaptation closely but swaps the nutmeg for chocolate for an even more decadent version of the drink. The result is a deep, sugary flavor with just enough caffeine to keep your energy up all night long.

The most important ingredient to grab in order to make this recipe correctly is overproofed rum. While the brand doesn't matter, you may find yourself buying the same bottle of Hamilton's that we did — it's one of the most popular and readily available over-proofed rums on the market. From there, you'll need triple sec (brand and proof don't matter here, but we like Cointreau), Kahlua, brewed coffee, heavy whipping cream, chocolate shavings, lemon, and sugar. Heavy whipping cream easily shakes into a soft foam, but if you have whipped cream in the fridge, you can use that instead. As for the chocolate shavings, simply take a vegetable peeler to a chocolate bar to create small curls of chocolate over the drink.

Swipe the lemon wedge around the entire exterior edge of the glass, to about ½-inch down from the top.

Pour the sugar into a small bowl and firmly plant the lemon-coated side of the glass into the sugar so that the glass is rimmed with ½-inch of sugar.

Pour the rum and Cointreau into the glass.

Using a lighter or long matchstick, carefully light the liquors. Tilt the glass to caramelize the sugar on the rim, which will slowly turn brown and melt.

When the sugar has caramelized, cover the glass with a metal or stone lid to extinguish the flame.

Add the Kahlua and coffee and stir gently.

Add whipping cream to a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously until softly whipped.

Add the whipped cream to the cocktail.

Garnish with chocolate shavings to serve.

Spanish coffee was designed to be lit on fire to caramelize both the sugars in the liquor and the sugars on the rim. This requires a very high proof — the proof has to be at least 100 (or 50% alcohol by volume) to be dangerously flammable, which is why such high proofs are prohibited on things like airplanes. Because alcohol is distilled and flavors added, lower proofs mean less flammable alcohol vapor, which means less flame — or none at all.

If you don't want to splurge on an over-proofed rum, you can make a version of the drink by swapping in another dark rum (you can use light, but avoid white rum). Because it won't create a large enough flame to caramelize the sugars on the rim, manually caramelize the rim by using a kitchen torch directly on the sugars. Keep the flame a few inches from the glass and gently torch the rim until the sugars brown and soften into caramel, about 1-2 minutes.

If you're trying the full recipe for the first time, be careful: While 151-proof creates a flame, you may not always see it because it is mixed with lower-proof Cointreau. The alcohol will light within 5 inches of flame, so carefully light the liquors and pull the torch away quickly. You'll feel and see the sugars on the rim turning brown, and tilting the glass, you'll notice the wispy orange flames reaching out of the glass. To protect your hands, use a glass with a stem or use a towel to shield your hands from the heat.

The idea behind this quick technique is to whip air into the cream to slightly solidify it so that it sits on top of the drink. Because it can be done in a cocktail shaker, it's easy to do behind a bar. If you don't have a cocktail shaker, you can make gently whipped cream the typical way with a whisk, electric beater, or stand mixer. You can also use a Mason jar or milk frother to foam the cream. Unlike true whipped cream, the cream won't be fully solidified, but rather like a foam on top of a latte. If you keep shaking, you may be able to make fully solidified whipped cream — but it may come at the expense of your arms.

If you're shaking the cream for what seems like minutes and nothing is happening, it could mean the cream is too warm. Heavy cream is best whipped when cold. Keep the heavy cream in your refrigerator until ready to serve. Use a metal shaker, if possible, and throw it into the freezer before beginning the cocktail. When ready to make the creamy foam topping. Work quickly to vigorously shake the heavy cream in the cold shaker. As you shake, you should hear the liquid in the shaker become quieter until it foams enough to be nearly silent, a clue that it is whipped and ready to pour.