Around the world in 8 coffees…
18th April 2013 by
Here at Chorlton Coffee Festival, we most definitely promote responsible drinking, and we find one of the most responsible ways to go about getting a little booze rush is to skip over drinking spirits neat, and simply enjoy as an addition to your coffee at the end of a meal. It’s guaranteed to prevent hangovers as you’re just having a tiny tipple and is truly delicious. Don’t just take our word for it though, here’s some of the classic boozy digestifs to perk you up at the end of a meal!
First of all, take your base ingredients: generally, these will include… you’ve guessed it, coffee!, usually some double cream to create that Guinness-esque head & for the er, harsher spirits, a teaspoon of brown sugar! It’s up to you which coffee you use, but if you talk to your local Chorlton coffee shop, they should be able to recommend the perfect type! Espresso + hot water is recommended, but it works equally well with filter or french press (and Aeropress is perfect if you wanna get fancy!), and I’ve been known to whip out the instant stuff when I’ve been far too in need of a caffeine fix to fiddle around with the other stuff…
To perfect that creamy head, it’s important to use a good thick cream – double is ideal – and give it a good shake before pouring. Not over ice though! I’ve made that mistake before, and of course, it thins the cream meaning it refuses to layer. Slow pouring over the back of a teaspoon is fine, although if you want to get fancy, you can always use a bar spoon (the long kind with the twirly stem).
French Coffee
Starting with our across-the-water neighbours and one of the inventors of true cafe culture (think Sartre debating the meaning of existence in Les Deux Magots) we have the French coffee. Just add a shot of Grand Marnier, an orange flavoured brandy liqueur; you may be able to bypass the sugar with this one as this is a slightly sweeter alcohol.
Irish Coffee
Perhaps the most well known of the after-dinner liqueur coffee, this one most definitely requires large quantities of sugar. (Did you think I was going to say booze then? How stereotypical of you!) Trust me – I’ve tried it without, and it would take a strong palette to be able to deal with neat whiskey + coffee. Supposedly invented by one Joe Sheridan, working in Limerick at the time, to warm the bones of a group of American tourists. The booze? Irish whiskey, of course.
Calypso Coffee
Travelling over to the Caribbean, we have my favourite of the lot, probably because of the extra coffee taste found in the 1.5 shots of coffee liqueur: you can use any brand but it’s traditionally made with Tia Maria or Kaluha, and topped up with a .5 shot of rum. Heady stuff! Sugar can be omitted as the sweetness comes from the coffee liqueur, but add to taste. This is also known as Jamaican coffee, though I suppose the name “Calypso” helps to give it a more relaxing and tropical feel…
Italian Coffee
…and we’re back to Europe. Well, of course this one has gotta be in here somewhere – everybody knows how much the Italians love their coffee. This one requires the addition of Amaretto, again, a sweet liqueur, so less sugar is needed here. Amaretto is made from a base of almond and/or apricot pits, and essentially tastes like bakewell tart. If you opt for this one, you’ve either got a very sweet tooth, or you can forego dessert! We won’t judge either way 😉
Kentucky Coffee
Off for a visit to the southern states now, this is the one I’m making after I’ve written this post… Not to be confused with the Kentucky Coffeetree – a tree whose seeds can be roasted and used as a substitute for coffee beans, though toxic if consumed unroasted! The gorgeous vanilla and caramel tones of a decent bourbon perfectly compliment coffee’s bitter notes. Here, sugar is required, although if you opt for one of the honey-flavoured bourbons currently on the market, you may be able to skip it.
Russian Coffee
Or, as I like to call it: When There’s No Other Booze In The House Coffee. I’m not sure what the appeal with this one is: for me hot coffee and vodka a match made in heaven do not make! (Totally different story when we’re on to the espresso martini however…) Interestingly, it’s only been in recent years that coffee has become popular in Russia: their proximity to China meant they nearly rivalled the Brits in their love of tea! Perhaps sticking a shot of vodka in it was the only way Starbucks could get them to swig it…
Caffè corretto
Not quite the same as the others, as the booze is actually served on the side. I suppose this shouldn’t technically be in this post as I’m forcing you back to Italy, where it’s traditionally served. Caffe corretto is a shot of espresso served with another shot of grappa – although this can be swapped for brandy or sambucca! Grappa is a grape based Italian brandy… so basically wine brandy. Yikes!
English coffee
I’m pretty sure I’d never heard of this one before researching this article, and I’ve got to be honest, I’m not sure I want to hear of it again. The most English of all spirits, gin, is added to this one. I’m going to leave you to let me know what this tastes like… Some recipes include triple sec (an orange liqueur) and a coffee liqueur as well – surely to overpower the taste of GIN in COFFEE. What’s the world coming to?! On that note, I’m off to make myself a Kentucky coffee… much nicer (I think!).