Carajillo (Puesto)

History

The Carajillo is a Spanish cocktail thought to have been created by Spanish troops in Cuba when the country was a Spanish province, who mixed coffee with rum to give them courage. 'Coraje' means courage in Spanish, and its diminutive form is corajillo. ( In Catalan, the Carajillo is called Cigaló.)

The Carajillo is popular in Spain, where its form varies by region, from simply pouring brandy into an espresso to heating brandy with lemon juice/zest, sugar and cinnamon, then adding coffee. It is also popular in its simplest form in Latin American countries, such as Colombia and Venezuela, and in Cuba, where coffee is mixed with rum rather than brandy.

An American version of the Carajillo combines a double measure of espresso coffee with chocolate liqueur in an ice-filled brandy balloon, topped with whipped cream. Another version is served with a caramelised sugar rim with rum, triple sec, coffee and whipped cream.

However, it is in Mexico where (since circa 2015) the Carajillo has exploded in popularity. Here, it is served shaken ("shakeado") or layered ("puesto"). Its popularity in Mexico has been helped by promotions by Licor 43 Liqueur; by far the most popular liqueur used to make a Carajillo. Indeed, this cocktail was added to Difford's Guide in 2019 after Licor 43 informed us of its popularity and sent us a glass for the layered version.