Carajillo con Tequila: Mexico’s Answer to the Espresso Martini

(Photo: Licor 43)

It feels like spirits and coffee have become the best of friends as of late.

Arguably launched by the espresso martini, the trend has swept high and low across the alcohol industry: countless coffee ready-to-drink cocktails (including but not limited to Pabst Blue Ribbon ‘Hard Coffee’) are joining liquor store shelves alongside a wide assortment of tequila, rum and whiskey-based liqueurs. At the high-end Starbucks Reserve cocktail bar, you can now order whiskey barrel-aged cold brew, the “Black & White” Manhattan, coffee-based Boulevardiers and more.

Amidst the shuffle, one historied cocktail has inexplicably never caught on in the United States: the carajillo.

At its simplest, a carajillo is made with espresso, ice and Licor 43, a golden Spanish liqueur distilled from a proprietary mix of citrus, vanilla, fruit juice and aromatic herbs.

The exact origin of the cocktail is debated, though it usually traces its way back to Spain.

In one telling, Spanish soldiers in revolutionary Cuba mixed brandy with coffee to give themselves courage (carajo in Spanish) before going into combat. In another telling, transport workers in Barcelona never had time to drink their coffee and liquor separately before going on late-night shifts; they’d mix the cocktail while saying “que ara quillo” — “I’m leaving” in Catalan.

Over the years, numerous Spanish-speaking countries have put regional twists on the recipe. More often than not, it’ll be served with rum. There also exists the Carajillo Panna Cotta, the anise-tinged Carajillo Epoca, and, inevitably, the Pumpkin Spice Carajillo.

Today, we’ll take a look at a Carajillo con Tequila, dubbed the “Modified Carajllo” by its maker Anders Erickson. As long as you have a bottle of Licor 43 on hand, this is an exceptionally easy cocktail to mix at home. Sweet, creamy and boldly energizing, it’s hard to go back to Vodka Red Bull once you’ve tried this delicious combo.

Carajillo Con Tequila

(Photo: Licor 43)

Ingredients

• 1 oz Licor 43
• 1 oz Reposado Tequila
• 1 shot Fresh Espresso
• Coffee bean, for garnish

Directions

1. Add Licor 43, tequila and espresso into a shaker with ice, shaking well for 15-20 seconds.
2. Double strain into a glass. Using a fine grater, shave a coffee bean on top for garnish.
3. Enjoy!

Read More: 

The Tequila-Coffee Boom Has Arrived: Cazadores Cafe Liqueur Launches Alongside Numerous Competitors

Monthly Tequila Roundup: Most Buzzed About Tequila Releases of July 2023

Barbenheimer Cocktail: A Grapefruit-Espresso-Martini-Tequila Explosion To End the Summer’s Biggest Debate

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