The Spanish coffee recipe
for your table
Fill the glass with hot tap water and let it stand for a minute so it warms through. Pour out the water and dry the outside. In a cold glass, the coffee's temperature drops immediately and the cream won't stay on top.
Put the brown sugar in the warm glass and pour in the hot coffee until about two centimeters below the rim. Stir with a long bar spoon until the sugar has completely dissolved; if a layer remains on the bottom, the last sip will suddenly taste very sweet.
Add the Licor 43, or the brandy if you prefer it less sweet, and stir briefly one more time. Hold the glass by the handle and let the coffee stand for half a minute so it is no longer boiling when the cream goes on.
Whip the cream until it's just softly whipped and still slides off the spoon, not stiff. Let it slide onto the coffee over the rounded side of an upside-down bar spoon, so it remains as a white layer. Don't stir again: you drink the hot coffee through the cold cream.
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The story
In the Netherlands and Belgium, Spanish coffee is part of the range of coffee specialties a café puts on its menu: Irish coffee with Irish whiskey, French coffee with Grand Marnier, Italian coffee with amaretto, and Spanish coffee with Licor 43. This liqueur comes from Cartagena and is made with citrus fruits and herbs, with vanilla as the flavor everyone notices immediately. That is precisely why it works in coffee: the vanilla cuts through the coffee's bitterness without overpowering it. If you prefer it less sweet, pour in brandy instead of liqueur and keep the teaspoon of sugar.
The right glass
A Spanish coffee is served in a handled glass of 24 to 28 centiliters, made of tempered glass and set on a foot. The handle is not just decorative: it lets you comfortably hold a glass full of boiling-hot coffee while keeping your fingers away from the glass wall. Through the clear glass, you can see the separation between the dark coffee and white cream, and that layer is half the pleasure. You need space above the coffee for the whipped cream, so never pour to the rim. If you also serve cappuccino or latte macchiato in a glass, take a look at the coffee glasses.
Onis Acapulco Irish Coffee Glass 28 cl (6 pieces)
Pasabahce Colombian Irish Coffee Glass 26 cl (2 pieces)
Both sets together € 31,90.
The right tools
For a Spanish coffee, in addition to the glass, you use a jigger to measure out exactly four centiliters of liqueur and a long bar spoon to stir and slide the cream over the rounded side onto the coffee. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 47,85.
What do you make a Spanish coffee with?
For a Spanish coffee, you need liqueur, or brandy if you want it drier. The best-known bottle is Licor 43, with Tia Maria as an alternative from the coffee corner. On each drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with, and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
Replace the Licor 43 with Tia Maria and the coffee will lean more toward coffee and chocolate; with brandy or cognac, it becomes drier and more robust. A pinch of cinnamon over the cream complements the vanilla in the liqueur, and if you want to make it festive, first dip the rim of the glass in fine granulated sugar. More inspiration? Browse more than 100 cocktail recipes.
Serving tip
Serve the Spanish coffee on a saucer with a long spoon beside it, so your guests can stir the cream into the coffee if they wish. Do not serve anything sweet with it: the liqueur and cream are the dessert. Serve immediately after pouring, because the layer of cream sinks after a few minutes.
Good to know
Why the cream stays afloat
Whipped cream stays afloat as long as it contains air and the coffee does not boil through it. Whip it until it is just softly whipped and still slides off the spoon, then let it slip into the glass over the rounded side of an inverted bar spoon. Stiffly whipped cream drops down in a lump, while liquid cream mixes with the coffee immediately.
The difference between Irish coffee and French coffee
All three are hot coffee with something sweet and a layer of cream; the difference is in the bottle. An Irish coffee contains Irish whiskey, a French coffee Grand Marnier, and a Spanish coffee Licor 43 or brandy. That makes the Spanish the sweetest of the three, with vanilla and spices, while the Irish brings grain and smoke.
Licor 43 or brandy
Both work well. With Licor 43, you get a sweet coffee with vanilla, so you can halve the sugar. With brandy or cognac, the coffee stays drier and the character of the barrel comes through; keep the teaspoon of sugar, otherwise the drink will taste harsh. If you want both, use 3 cl liqueur and 1 cl brandy.
Which coffee to use
Strong filter coffee or a lungo works best: twelve centilitres with enough body to stand up to the liqueur and cream. A single espresso is too small for this glass; if you still want to use espresso, top it up with hot water until you reach twelve centilitres.
How hot the coffee may be
Pour the coffee as soon as it has been made, but let it sit in the glass for half a minute before adding the cream. Coffee simmering on a warming plate turns bitter and pushes the cream apart. The preheated glass keeps the coffee warm enough, even if you have to wait a moment.
For several people
Put all the glasses in the sink under hot water at the same time and leave them there while you make the coffee. Whip the cream all at once for the whole round. Then pour glass by glass and only let the cream settle onto all the glasses at the very end; otherwise the first one will already have collapsed on the table before the last one is ready.
Frequently asked questions
What goes into a Spanish coffee?
Hot coffee, a teaspoon of brown soft sugar, 4 cl of Licor 43 or brandy, and a layer of lightly whipped cream. Serve it in a handled glass with a capacity of 24 to 28 centilitres, which you preheat with hot water first.
What is the difference between Spanish coffee and Irish coffee?
The drink in the glass. You make Irish coffee with Irish whiskey, and Spanish coffee with Licor 43 or brandy. That makes the Spanish sweeter and smoother, with vanilla and spices, while the Irish brings more grain and smoke. The combination of sugar, coffee and a layer of cream is the same for both.
Which glass do you use for a Spanish coffee?
A handled coffee glass with a capacity of 24 to 28 centilitres, made of tempered glass and standing on a foot. The handle keeps your fingers away from the hot glass, the foot keeps the heat away from the table, and through the clear glass you can see the cream resting on the coffee.
Can you also make a Spanish coffee without alcohol?
Yes. Pour strong coffee with a teaspoon of brown soft sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract, then add the same layer of whipped cream on top. You miss the liqueur, but the combination of vanilla, coffee and cream still works.
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