Ingredients
- 1 oz Coffee Liqueur
- .5 oz Triple Sec
- top with Coffee
- 1/5 oz Whipped Cream
Instructions
Rim the mug:
- Rim a coffee mug with sugar for a sweet touch.
Mix:
- Add 1 oz coffee liqueur and 0.5 oz triple sec to the mug. Fill with hot coffee.
Top:
- Top with 1/5 oz whipped cream and a sprinkle of grated chocolate.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
Hot coffee cocktails are everywhere. The Spanish Coffee, the Irish Coffee, the Karsk. The Monte Cristo Coffee is the Spanish Coffee variant that uses Grand Marnier or triple sec for the orange note instead of brandy.
Some recipes flame the rim with the spirits before topping with coffee. Some skip the flame and just pour. Both work.
What it tastes like
Bitter coffee on the lead, sweet Kahlua and orange triple sec in the middle, creamy whipped finish. The orange peel oils on the cream cut through the sweetness.
Hot coffee is essential. Lukewarm coffee makes the whole drink go flat.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottles that make or break this drink.
The coffee liqueur
- Use
- Kahlua or Tia Maria
- Try
- Mr Black for less sweet
The triple sec
- Use
- Grand Marnier or Cointreau
- Why
- Higher quality orange liqueur shows in a hot drink
The coffee
- Use
- Strong filter coffee or a long espresso topped with hot water
- Skip
- Instant coffee, the drink goes thin
Why the Monte Cristo Coffee works (Kahlua + Grand Marnier in hot coffee)
After-dinner French-style coffee cocktail with two liqueurs, hot coffee, and whipped cream. Espresso-bar feel at home.
The technique
Use a small footed Irish coffee glass or sturdy mug. Rim with sugar – wet the rim with lemon, dip in fine caster sugar. Sugar-rimming is what makes this drink “Monte Cristo” and not just a Spanish coffee.
Pour the liqueurs first, top with hot black coffee, leave 2cm at the top. Float lightly whipped cream over the back of a spoon so it sits on top instead of mixing. The temperature contrast – cold cream, hot coffee, sweet liqueurs – is the whole pleasure.
Brand picks
Kahlua: Kahlua Original is standard. Tia Maria is the smoother alternative – less sugar, more coffee-forward. Avoid generic coffee liqueurs at the bottom shelf – the cheap ones taste like coffee-flavored syrup, not liqueur.
Grand Marnier: Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge is the proper pour. Cointreau is too dry for this drink – the cognac base in Grand Marnier is what makes the orange-coffee combination work. Triple sec is a flat substitute.
Coffee: Use a medium roast brewed fresh. Espresso is too intense – it overpowers the liqueurs. French press or pour-over hits the right strength.
Cream: Heavy whipping cream, very lightly whipped (just thicker than pourable). Whipped too stiff and it sits like a hat instead of floating.
Common mistakes
Skipping the sugar rim. Without it, this is just an Irish coffee with Grand Marnier. The rim is the signature.
Boiling-hot coffee. Curdles the cream and burns the liqueurs. 80 degrees C maximum – leave it 30 seconds after the kettle.
Mixing it all together. The drink is meant to be sipped through the layers. Stirring before drinking ruins the experience.
What if I don't have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Cointreau or any quality triple sec.
Cold espresso syrup or Mr Black.
Add 15 ml of dark rum for a Jamaica Coffee variant.
Pour over ice in a tall glass. Loses the hot mug feel but works.
Pour cold heavy cream over the back of a spoon. Same float.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
How strong is it?
Is this a Spanish Coffee?
Why orange peel?
Can it be flamed?
Glass?
