This cocktail has been blowing up online.

Leandro made it with cognac and rye…

The High Proof Preacher made it with Tequila… 

And Steve the Bartender found the original recipe…

It begs the question… Why are they  already calling it the cocktail of 2026?

And it got me thinking – why is it so popular?

Are there other variations  that you shouldn’t miss?

I’ll make 4 variations of the Carajillo…

Including one without its key ingredient.

Not to “fix” it – but to break it down,  

so you won’t just know the flavors,  but understand why they work.

Then I’ll build it back up, Cocktail Time style.

Are you ready to be a part of the  Carajillo trend? All you need to do is…

Before we had the trend, we  had this – the Carajillo.

This is a shaken version, which  I’ll show you in a minute.

At its core, the Carajillo is incredibly  simple – just two ingredients.

And it’s been around way longer  than social media trends.

One origin story takes us to 19th-century Spain,  

where workers combined their two morning drinks –  coffee and alcohol – because they were in a rush.

Another places it in Cuba,  where soldiers or plantation  

workers mixed rum and coffee for  a bit of courage, or “coraje”.

You could think of it as the  Spanish cousin of Irish Coffee,  

or what Italians call “caffè corretto”.

Originally, it was made with brandy or rum.

But the version that really took over,  especially in Mexico, is espresso with Licor 43.

This Spanish liqueur is sweet,  vanilla-forward, and slightly citrusy.

That balance with coffee is what makes the Carajillo work so well.

And it’s also what makes it so adaptable.

So it was really only a matter  of time before someone took that  

flavor profile and turned  it into an Old Fashioned.

Leandro said it best…

“How did I not invent this?!”

The Carajillo Old Fashioned was invented by  Sean O’Connor-Combes in San Diego, back in 2022.

It later appeared in The Madrusan Cocktail  Companion, but it was slightly simplified.

That’s also the version  made by The Educated Barfly.

Licor 43, Coffee Liqueur,  Cognac and Rye. Super simple.

A few months before that, even before  the book was published, Jordan Hughes,  

aka The HighProofPreacher, shared his own  Carajillo Old Fashioned riff,

with tequila reposado, Licor 43, coffee liqueur, orange and cacao bitters.

The version that really took off was  from the printed recipe, made by Leandro.

It got picked up by more or less  every cocktail creator out there.

Some made it the same, some changed  the spirits, or added bitters.

The cocktail was easy to replicate, but  flexible enough to make it your own.

And that’s what turned a classic coffee  drink into a full-blown cocktail trend.

I’ll break it apart and build it back up  for a Cocktail Time Carajillo Old Fashioned.

Before we do that, let’s start with the original.

There are two ways to order a modern Carajillo.

You can ask for it to be made “puesto”,  

and you’ll get a layered drink of  liqueur and the coffee over ice.

But a more popular version is the shakeado.

You’ll need the same ingredients for both –  fresh espresso, and Licor 43, in equal parts.

I’m also adding 2 drops of saline solution,  to boost the flavors. Then add plenty of ice  

and shake hard. This will build a nice  foam, and bring everything together.

Double strain over fresh ice  in a chilled rocks glass.

In a way, this is almost a simplified Espresso  Martini. Just two ingredients. Cheers.

Let’s try the shaken Carajillo. Cheers.

As I expected, quite heavy on coffee.

It’s like adding coffee a bit of  muscle with the Licor 43.

Nicely sweet, rounded drink. Frothy, creamy.

- How does it compare to the Espresso Martini?  - For sure, this would benefit..

from having a little bit of a spirit. I would add tequila blanco in it,

so that it would compare better to Espresso Martini than just the way

these two shaken liquids coming together here.

It's not bad but I wouldn't order it too often.

It really does make you wonder  how it took this long for the  

Carajillo to end up in an Old Fashioned template.

I’ll be making the simplified  version found in the Madrusan  

Cocktail Companion. Many people  pointed out it’s missing bitters.

Steve the Bartender reached out to the creator of the recipe

and found out the original  did actually add Angostura Bitters.

So we’ll start with the version that went viral,  

and if it needs bitters –  we’ll add them in the glass.

Start with a chilled mixing glass.

First, the spirits. Equal parts of Cognac,  

and rye whiskey. Both are higher  ABV, like in the original recipe.

Next, Licor 43, just like  in the classic Carajillo.

Lastly, the coffee liqueur. O’Connor actually  used a house-made coffee-infused amaro blend,  

but maybe changing that to the simple  coffee liqueur is what helped it go viral.

Stir until properly chilled and diluted.

Again,  the original recipe adds coffee beans  for the regal stir and more coffee notes.

Then strain over the big clear ice block.  

The 3 coffee beans as garnish is basically a standard by now.

I feel like I’m the last person on the  internet to give this a try, but let’s do it.

Okay, let’s try the Carajillo Old Fashioned.

On the nose, cognac is coming through the most.

Quite on the sweet side. So for  sure, I would add some bitters to it.

Other than that, it’s rich, a bit citrusy.

Of course,  coffee notes coming through as well. Rye giving it a bit of sharpness or spiciness.

Quite well-rounded. But let’s try to add  some Angostura bitters to see how it changes.

I think the regal stir with coffee beans  will benefit this cocktail as well.

Okay, now we have a bit more spiciness

even more than before.

So cognac is not coming through as much as it did before.

Even though I added just one dash, Angostura it makes it a bit more...

balanced in a way - not just the bitterness coming from the coffee liqueur.

My choice of bitters would be different. I would add either cacao or orange.

But the aromatic one makes it more balanced.

I would also add a little  bit more coffee notes in it,  

since the original Carajillo  is *espresso* and Licor 43.

When you think about it, the transition from Carajillo to Carajillo Old Fashioned 

made a lot of sense. But when I saw that recipe...

I quickly thought: "Would it work as a Highball too?"

Before you find out, I want to share my  new favorite way of smoking a cocktail,  

and it’s without the hassle of using a smoker.

It can even replace a float of peated scotch.

So let’s use the Penicillin for  an example. That smoky character  

is the backbone of what makes it one  of the best sour cocktails out there.

Now you can add smoke to any cocktail thanks to  YGGDRASIL ASH, a cocktail perfume from TAVMA.

Just one or two sprays is enough to  add notes of pinewood, pink pepper,  

barbecue and smoke to every sip of your drink.

These perfumes are made for  bars and cocktail enthusiasts,  

each bottle can transform up to 500 cocktails.

Skip the hassle and grab a bottle of  YGGDRASIL ASH cocktail perfume on TAVMA.co.

Use my discount code KEVIN10 for 10% off  and give your cocktails character. Cheers.

For the Carajillo Highball I  tried a few different recipes,  

until landing on this one,  which I think is a real winner.

Start with a well-chilled highball  glass that’s rimmed with salt.

For the base, it’s equal parts of Licor 43 and  reposado tequila. This brings the same barrel-aged  

warmth as cognac – and it pulls the drink back  to Mexico, where the Carajillo really took off.

Make sure your soda water is as cold  as possible and top up the cocktail.

Give it a gentle stir, then  pour in a shot of espresso.

Lastly, add an orange wedge for garnish.

Let’s try the Carajillo Highball.

Love the smell already.

That’s good.

The coffee is there. The Licor 43 is there.

Tequila combines it all together perfectly.

In general, I love highballs, so this is right down my alley.  

And trying it from the salt side...

makes it even better.

Guys, you have to try it.

- So, will this become a modern classic? - Well, it’s hard to say.  

I wouldn’t mind  if this becomes a modern classic.

So simple, so delicious. I’m proud that I can say:  I thought of it first. At least I think I did…

But more importantly, it proves  that these flavors work across  

completely different formats.  So let’s take it a step further.

At this point, we know these building blocks work.  

Coffee. Vanilla. Texture. And it  works across different formats.

So for my version, I’m taking  those proven blocks…

pairing them with ingredients and flavors that naturally belong with them…

and stacking everything together in a new way.

Not reinventing the wheel, just creating a new way of enjoying the ride.

It’s time for a Cocktail Time Carajillo. The Carajillo Tiempo.

To do that I need to make a few DIY ingredients.

First up, vanilla tincture. I showed the easiest  way to do this in the flavored syrups episode,  

but this time I’m making the vanilla tincture  the fast way, using the sous vide technique.

In a bag add a vanilla bean that’s split lengthwise, with the seeds scraped out

for maximum extraction. For that we need a higher-ABV neutral spirit,

ideally something above 100 proof or 50% ABV.

Vacuum seal and place that in the bath for 60°C or 140°F.

The tincture will be ready in  3 hours instead of 2 weeks,  

like it would be if you did this in a sealed jar  at room temperature. Once it’s cooled,

strain through a coffee filter and that’s ready for the cocktail or your next batch of vanilla syrup.

Next, cacao cognac. Almost like making your  milky cacao, I’m simply taking cognac

and stirring in some high-quality cacao. This is the simplest way of getting deep cacao notes

into any spirit. You can use a magnetic stirrer or do this by hand.

Stir this for 10 minutes, then strain it through a coffee filter, until the liquid runs completely clear.

Simple. Bottle, and that’s it.

For sweetness I’ll be using a syrup made with  floral honey. If you want to make sure your  

syrups always have the right amount of sweetness  check out the syrups calculators on kevinkos.com.

And lastly, the coffee foam. Start with a  stronger-than-usual pour-over brew. I want  

the flavor of coffee to shine in the foam,  even as you drink the cocktail through it.

Once the coffee has dripped through and fully  chilled I’ll combine it with simple syrup,  

Vegg White – a wonderful foaming solution that mimics egg white,

and a dash of saline solution.

Blend this mixture in a blender or with a stick blender, then pour it into an isi siphon

and charge it with a nitrous oxide cartridge.

Give it a good shake and place it in the fridge.

With that chilled it’s time  to make the Carajillo Tiempo.

Again start with a chilled mixing glass.  Add honey syrup and vanilla tincture.  

This gives us sweetness and vanilla  flavor without relying on Licor 43.

Orange bitters add some citrus notes and  balance the sweetness with bitterness.

Now the spirits – cacao cognac and rye whiskey.

And lastly, as always, 2 drops of saline.

Add plenty of ice and stir until  it’s well chilled and diluted.

Serve over a clear ice cube before  adding the final touch.

Coffee foam, for aroma, flavor, and texture.

Carajillo, Cocktail Time style. Cheers.

Let’s try the Carajillo Tiempo.

As expected, coffee comes first.

With a nice textured foam...

and all this vanilla, cacao, orange notes coming through the foam.

Florality of honey, a little bit  of spiciness. There’s still...

some kick from alcohol, from rye and cognac, but it’s well-rounded.

Easy to drink. A bit complex to  make, but I think it’s worth it.

- Do you get better flavors of coffee and everything than in the Carajillo Old Fashioned?  

- Absolutely. Because that’s what I was missing before.

In the Carajillo Old Fashioned,  there was not enough coffee flavor.

And since the Carajillo base  was coffee and Licor 43,  

I think it should have all  these coffee notes, right?

So yeah, I prefer it with a bit more coffee.

For something to become a trend,  it needs to start with a good idea.

But a good idea on its own isn’t enough.

It also has to be presented in a way  people connect and engage with it.

And ideally, it needs a bit of a wow  factor. That’s how things like Super Juice, 

the Parmesan Espresso Martini, the  Batanga, and now the Carajillo, take off.

I often get asked: "What will be the next trend?"

That depends on you. You are the key.

So if you want the Carajillo Highball to join the Carajillo trend,

all you need to do is: make it, enjoy it, and share it.

Until next time, cheers, Friends of Cocktails.