Carajillo
Also carajillo de brandy, carajillo 43
Spain's coffee with a shot of spirit, served hot in a small glass; in Mexico the Licor 43 version over ice has become a bar standard.
With spiritsServed hotFrom Spain
- Volume
- 60ml2.0 US fl oz
- Espresso
- 1shot
- Caffeine
- 64mgderived, USDA FDC
- Glass
- Gibraltar glass120 ml
The build
Watch it made, step by step- Espresso30 ml50%
- Spirit30 ml50%
- Volume
- 60ml
- Caffeine
- 64mg
- Espresso
- 1shot
Scales every component together, so the ratio holds; caffeine scales with the coffee.
Roughly 1:1 coffee to spirit, hot in Spain; the Mexican Licor 43 version is usually shaken and served over ice.
Caffeine
Derivedin a 60 ml carajillo
USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy caffeine per 100 g scaled to the coffee volume in components, assuming 1 g per ml. FDC 171891 (Beverages, coffee, brewed, espresso, restaurant-prepared) 212.0 mg/100 g x 30 ml.
USDA FoodData Central record 171891 · read 2026-10-26
A derived figure: the reference food's caffeine per 100 g scaled to the coffee in this build. Real cups vary with the coffee, the dose and the shot.
Variants by country
4| Name | Country | How it differs |
|---|---|---|
| carajillo 43 | Mexico | Espresso and Licor 43 shaken over ice. |
| cremaet | Spain | Valencian version with flamed rum, sugar, lemon and cinnamon. |
| trifásico | Spain | Catalan: carajillo with milk, three layers. |
| caffè corretto | Italy | Italian equivalent with grappa. |
History
Wikidata classes it as a liqueur coffee and describes it as a Spanish drink combining coffee with alcohol. The folk etymologies (from 'coraje', courage, among Spanish troops in Cuba) are not verified.
Spain; also hugely popular in Mexico with Licor 43.
Related drinks
Vodka, coffee liqueur and fresh espresso shaken to a foam and served up. Dick Bradsell's 1980s London cocktail, now a global bar standard.
With spirits Cremaet 70 ml · 64 mgValencia's flamed carajillo: rum burnt with sugar, lemon and cinnamon, then topped with espresso. Sweet, aromatic and theatrical.
With spirits Moretta Fanese 70 ml · 64 mgA layered hot drink from Fano of rum, anisette and brandy under a float of espresso. Traditionally drunk by fishermen against the cold.
With spirits Café-Calva 50 ml · 64 mgNormandy's after-dinner coffee: a small black coffee with a measure of calvados, in the cup or beside it.
With spirits Spanish Coffee 215 ml · 56 mgA flamed coffee cocktail: rum and triple sec set alight in a sugar-rimmed glass, then coffee liqueur, hot coffee and whipped cream.
With spirits Caffè Corretto 45 ml · 64 mgAn espresso 'corrected' with a dash of grappa, sambuca or brandy. Small, warming and traditional in Italian bars.