What does a carajillo taste like?
A carajillo tastes like sweet, vanilla-scented iced coffee with a boozy kick: espresso shaken with Licor 43, a Spanish vanilla and citrus liqueur.
Carajillo
coffee, vanilla and a kick
In Mexico, a carajillo is usually equal-ish parts espresso and Licor 43, a sweet Spanish liqueur flavored with vanilla and citrus. It's shaken or stirred over ice, so it comes out cold, a little frothy and very smooth. The coffee's bitterness meets the liqueur's sweetness halfway, so it tastes like a vanilla latte without the milk and with a boozy warmth. In Spain, where it started, it's often hot coffee spiked with brandy or rum, which is drier and stronger. It's traditionally an after-dinner drink.
Where you’ll see it
At Mexican restaurants and cocktail bars, served over ice in a rocks glass, sometimes layered so the coffee sits on top of the liqueur. Spanish versions come hot in a small glass.
Order it if you want coffee and dessert in one after-dinner drink.
Quick questions
- What is in a carajillo?
- Espresso and Licor 43, a Spanish vanilla and citrus liqueur, in the Mexican style. Spanish versions use brandy or rum with hot coffee.
- Is a carajillo like an espresso martini?
- Similar idea, different taste. An espresso martini uses vodka and coffee liqueur. A carajillo is sweeter and more vanilla, with no vodka.