It’s become a TikTok spoof: a large group is seated at a restaurant, ordering cocktails; someone will have an espresso martini, and then one by one, they’re all “having an espresso martini.” After all, the appeal of the drink—a ’90s go-to that returned with a vengeance in 2020—is undeniable, and all you need to do is scroll on Instagram or take a turn about a fancy cocktail bar to discover its ubiquity.
But why not shake up your order? The next time you’re tempted to request an espresso martini, ask for a carajillo instead. This delightfully simple concoction is a mix of one part espresso and one part Licor 43 (a Spanish liquor whose 43-ingredient recipe has been kept under wraps since 1948, when the Zamora family first invented the saccharine herbal blend) poured over ice. Where the espresso martini is sharp and bitter, the carajillo is sweet, with notes of vanilla, chocolate, and citrus.
Order it shakeado for a frothy mixed cocktail or puesto, where the two liquids will stack à la a White Russian. Consider it the Latin (or Spanish) cousin of the espresso martini—although while it’s become wildly popular in Mexico City, don’t call it a Mexican drink. Its origins are as murky as the drink itself.
The internet is filled with conflicting and complementary origin stories for the beloved spiked coffee cocktail. Some believe it originated in Cuba, given to indentured laborers on plantations to lend them coraje, or courage, for the day ahead. Another theory states it was concocted and imbibed by Spanish troops stationed in Cuba. There are arguments that it’s from Catalonia—a coffee and aguardiente combination ordered by carriers of goods who were constantly on the move and in need of pick-me-ups. Others claim it’s Spanish, where coffee is served alongside brandy, anise, rum, or aguardiente.
All of these may be true; cultures all over the world have their own take on a spiked coffee cocktail, after all. Consider the Irish coffee, Norwegian karsk, Italian caffè corretto—and this was centuries before the espresso martini frenzy.
Wherever its origins, Mexico City has adopted it with open arms, and it has increasingly become a fixture on cocktail menus alongside mezcalitos and Micheladas. The drink has become a favorite of those looking for a proper night out, and it’s also served at weddings to keep guests going.
Meanwhile, in the States, the drink has surged in popularity (with US-based Google searches for it more than doubling over the last three years), and bartenders are equally on board. The just-opened restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown, Corima (from Contra-alum Chef Fidel Caballero ) has one on the menu, only theirs features a splash of Nixta Corn Licor and Haku Vodka for adding booziness. It’s typically ordered pre or post-meal, explains the restaurant’s General Manager Vince Ott—and given Corima’s proximity to buzzy Dimes Square, it will surely be a go-to for those preparing for a proper night out. (You’ll also find it on the menus of Brooklyn’s Tacocina, San Diego’s Born Raised, and Houston’s Traveler’s Table.)
Need some final convincing? “The carajillo was invented in Spain and became even more popular in Mexico, but is eclipsed in New York by the espresso martini,” says New York Times restaurant critic Pete Wells. “This is too bad.”
