There are several stories about the origins of the Carajillo, some say its a variation of the word "corajillo", which comes from the Spanish colonists in Cuba who took it for courage (or coraje in Spanish); others say it comes from the muleteers in a Barcelona train station, who asked the bartender to mix their coffee and liquor because they "had to go" or, in Catalan "que ara guillo".
Whatever the origin, the basics of carajillo is that it's made with ground coffee and liquor, as what kind of liquor is also on debate. The most common liquors used for the carajillo are rum, brandy,whisky and aniseed.
As there are so many variables when making this Spanish beverage, OneHowto would like to show you how to make a carajillo coffee in the most widely accepted and tasty way.
- Coffee maker
- Tea spoon
- Liquor glass
Prepare a long espresso coffee. The best way is to make it with a coffee maker, but if you don't have one you can use a nespresso or similar.
In a wide-necked glass, pour the liquor, grains of toasted coffee and the lemon peel.
Flambé the mix for 15 seconds after having heated the glass. If you don't have the appropriate material to do so, stir the mixture and leave to stand for 2 minutes.
Add the coffee to put out the fire. Stir once more and sieve the mixture.
Put the carajillo mix back in its liquor glass and add some sugar if you have more of a sweet tooth. Your carajillo is ready to be served!
Now you know how to make a carajillo, you may also want to learn how to make a homemade cappuccino too!
If you want to read similar articles to How to make a carajillo coffee, we recommend you visit our Food & drink category.
- You can add a touch of cinnamon to give it a final and more refined touch
- The carajillo is perfect to drink as a dessert after a meal