Carajillo: Spain’s best-kept secret for coffee with a kick

Monday morning. The sun’s pretending it’s been up for hours — you’re not. One shoe’s on, the other’s still somewhere under the sofa. There’s a mountain of emails, a vague sense of sleep deprivation, and an empty fridge. And then it hits you: carajillo. I already dropped a hint about it in a story on Easter Monday.

In Spain, it’s no passing trend. A carajillo is tradition — usually after lunch, or for those who’ve already put in half a workday by ten in the morning.

What is a carajillo?

The short version: a carajillo is Spanish coffee with a kick. The longer version: coffee with booze. Usually brandy, sometimes whisky, rum or Licor 43. No cream, no syrup, no latte art — just black, hot, and with a solid backbone.

They say it started with soldiers who needed coraje — courage. They mixed coffee with alcohol and called it carajillo. Whether that’s true? Who knows. But it makes sense.

Regional variations (and what to try at home)

• In Alicante and Castellón, it’s often served with Licor 43: spiced, slightly sweet, with a hint of vanilla.
• In Catalonia, you’ll more often see brandy or rum — often flambéed before being poured.
• In Madrid, they keep it straightforward: espresso with a generous shot of brandy.

Making one at home is simple. Here’s a classic recipe:

Carajillo recipe (Alicante style)

• 1 shot of strong espresso
• 30–40 ml Licor 43 (or brandy, to taste)
• Optional: a strip of lemon peel or a cinnamon stick
• Gently heat (or flambé) the liquor in a small saucepan
• Pour into the glass, then slowly add the coffee on top
• Do not stir — the layers will stay beautifully separated
• Sip slowly. Or knock it back in one go — if it’s that kind of morning.

Why it works

Because it combines two things you don’t need — but definitely want: caffeine and comfort. Bitter and sweet. Focus and letting go. And most of all: because it’s not something you drink on the go. A carajillo is for when you take a moment. With yourself, a newspaper, or that one colleague you’ve been dodging since Thursday.

On Monday 5 May — not a public holiday in Spain, but maybe one in your head — we raise our coffee cups. Not to forget the week, but simply to start it. With a carajillo. Warm. Strong. And exactly what you needed.