# Carajillo

Source: https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/carajillo/
Last updated: 2026-10-21

> A carajillo is espresso mixed with a spirit or liqueur. In Spain it's usually brandy, rum or whisky in a hot coffee; in Mexico, where it has boomed since about 2015, it's equal parts espresso and Licor 43, layered over ice ("puesto") or shaken ("shakeado"). The name may come from coraje, courage.

## At a glance

- Chapter: Coffee cocktails
- Served: Hot or cold
- Brewing method: https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/
- Origin: Spain
- Glass: Old-fashioned glass
- Also known as: cigaló, carajillo puesto, carajillo shakeado

## Ingredients

- 45 ml (1½ oz) Licor 43 (or brandy, rum or whisky)
- 45 ml (1½ oz) espresso, freshly made and hot
- to fill the glass ice (for the Mexican style)
- 3 coffee beans, to garnish

## Steps

1. **Fill the glass**: For a Mexican-style carajillo puesto, fill an old-fashioned glass with ice and pour in the Licor 43.
2. **Make the espresso**: Brew a fresh, hot espresso.
3. **Float the coffee**: Pour the espresso carefully over the liqueur so it floats in a separate layer.
4. **Garnish and serve**: Garnish with three coffee beans. Or shake both with ice and strain into the glass for a carajillo shakeado.

A **carajillo** is coffee with a kick: [espresso](https://dailyextraction.com/methods/espresso/) mixed with a **spirit or liqueur**. In Spain it's a small hot coffee with **brandy, rum or whisky**, Devour Tours says; in **Mexico**, where Difford's Guide says it has "exploded in popularity" since about 2015, it's equal parts espresso and **Licor 43**, a sweet Spanish liqueur, served cold over ice. VinePair calls it essentially a Spanish version of an Irish coffee. Here's how to make both styles, and the stories behind the name.

## The short version

- **Espresso plus a spirit or liqueur.**
- **In Spain**: hot, with brandy, rum or whisky.
- **In Mexico**: equal parts espresso and Licor 43, over ice.
- **Puesto** is layered; **shakeado** is shaken.
- **The name** may come from *coraje*, courage.



## What's in a carajillo?

It depends where you are:

| Style | What's in it | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Spain** | Espresso with rum, whisky or brandy | Devour Tours |
| **Spain, regional** | From brandy simply poured into an espresso to brandy heated with lemon, sugar and cinnamon, then coffee added | Difford's Guide |
| **Cuba** | Coffee with rum | Difford's Guide |
| **Mexico, puesto** | Equal parts Licor 43 and hot espresso, the coffee floated over the liqueur in an ice-filled glass | Difford's Guide |
| **Mexico, shakeado** | The same, shaken with ice | Difford's Guide |

Licor 43 is said to contain 43 secret ingredients, fruit juices, vanilla, spices and herbs, known only to the **Zamora** family who make it in Cartagena, VinePair says. Its caramel sweetness and citrus notes, it adds, build on the espresso while muting its bitterness. VinePair recommends shaking for the best blend.

## How do you make a carajillo?

**Mexican puesto** (Difford's Guide): fill an old-fashioned glass with ice, pour in **45 ml of Licor 43**, then carefully float **45 ml of hot espresso** on top. Garnish with three coffee beans.

**Mexican shakeado**: shake the same amounts with ice and strain into the glass.

**Spanish**: pour a measure of brandy, rum or whisky into a hot espresso, as Devour Tours describes.

## Where does the carajillo come from?

Nobody is sure. CLASS says its exact origins "have been lost in time"; the sources offer these stories:

| Story | Source |
| --- | --- |
| It likely began with **cremat**, a Catalan sailors' drink of coffee and dark rum, with cinnamon, sugar and lemon peel, drunk by tradesmen sailing between Catalonia and the Americas in the 1800s | VinePair; CLASS |
| The name was adopted when **Cuba** was a Spanish province, as soldiers drank coffee and rum for courage, *coraje*, whose diminutive is *corajillo* | VinePair; Difford's Guide |
| Overworked **Barcelona transport workers** of the early 19th century wanted coffee and a shot as quickly as possible | CLASS, which calls it a legend |

What's documented is more recent. The drink was made with many spirits until the Zamora family began producing **Licor 43 in 1946**, CLASS says, which quickly became the standard. Difford's Guide adds that its boom in Mexico since about 2015 has been helped by Licor 43's promotions. Licor 43's own origin story, VinePair notes, traces it to a Roman-era liqueur from Cartagena, which is best read as legend.

## Carajillo vs other coffee cocktails

- **[Caffè corretto](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/caffe-corretto/):** Italy's espresso "corrected" with grappa or sambuca.
- **[Espresso martini](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/espresso-martini/):** vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur, shaken.
- **[Irish coffee](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/irish-coffee/):** hot coffee and Irish whiskey under cream.
- **[Café con leche](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/cafe-con-leche/):** Spain's everyday coffee, without the alcohol.

Explore every drink in the [coffee cocktails chapter](https://dailyextraction.com/drinks/coffee-cocktails/).

## FAQs

### What is in a carajillo?

Coffee and a spirit or liqueur. Devour Tours describes the Spanish version as espresso served with rum, whisky or brandy. Difford's Guide's Mexican version is equal parts Licor 43 and hot espresso.

### What is the difference between a carajillo puesto and shakeado?

Puesto is layered: the espresso is floated over Licor 43 in an ice-filled glass. Shakeado is shaken with ice. Difford's Guide says both are popular in Mexico.

### Where does the name carajillo come from?

Nobody knows for sure. The usual story, told by Difford's Guide and VinePair, is that Spanish soldiers in Cuba drank coffee with rum for courage, coraje, which became carajillo. CLASS also mentions a legend about Barcelona transport workers in a hurry.

### Why is Licor 43 used?

It became the standard. CLASS says the drink was made with many spirits until the Zamora family began producing Licor 43 in 1946, which quickly became the standard. VinePair says its caramel and citrus notes mute the espresso's bitterness.

### What is a carajillo called in Catalan?

Cigaló, Difford's Guide says. In Spain the drink varies by region, from simply pouring brandy into an espresso to heating brandy with lemon, sugar and cinnamon before adding the coffee.

## Sources

- [Carajillo (puesto)](https://www.diffordsguide.com/cocktails/recipe/4848/carajillo)
- [The carajillo](https://vinepair.com/cocktail-recipe/carajillo/)
- [Classic cocktails: carajillo](https://classbarmag.com/news/fullstory.php/aid/1673/Classic_cocktails:_Carajillo.html)
- [How to order coffee in Spain: the complete guide](https://devourtours.com/blog/ordering-coffee-in-spain/)