Keoke Coffee
A mug of hot coffee with brandy, coffee liqueur and chocolate liqueur stirred through, under a thick cap of whipped cream. It tastes like a liqueur chocolate dissolved in coffee, which is exactly what it was built to be after a day in the snow.
At a glance
- Coffee : spirits
- 2:1
- Active time
- 4 min
- Total time
- 5 min
- Makes
- 1 mug
- Serve
- Hot, with cream
- Kit
- Heatproof mug
Ingredients
Note: Both liqueurs are sweet, so no sugar is needed. If you like it less sweet, cut the crème de cacao to 10 ml.
Method
-
Warm the glass
Fill a heatproof mug or stemmed glass with hot water, leave it a minute, then empty it.
-
Spirits in
Pour in the brandy, coffee liqueur and crème de cacao.
-
Hot coffee and stir
Add the hot coffee and stir.
-
Cream and chocolate
Top with whipped cream and grate a little dark chocolate over it. Serve at once.
Why this works
A Keoke coffee is built on two sweet liqueurs and one dry spirit. Coffee liqueur adds a second layer of roast and a lot of sugar. Crème de cacao adds chocolate and more sugar. Brandy adds warmth, dried fruit and oak, and its dryness keeps the drink from becoming syrupy. The proportions, roughly equal brandy and coffee liqueur with a little less cacao, are about keeping that balance. More cacao and it tastes like hot chocolate. More brandy and it loses its sweetness.
No sugar is needed because of the liqueurs, which is also why the cream floats so easily. Sugar dissolved in the coffee makes it denser, and lightly whipped cream, full of air, sits on top. The cream also cools each sip slightly and coats the palate, which softens the alcohol.
The coffee should be strong. Two liqueurs, a spirit and cream add up to a lot of flavour, and a weak brew simply becomes the liquid they are dissolved in. Strong filter or a lengthened espresso keeps coffee in the picture.
The drink's origin is obscure. It belongs to the family of American bar and ski-resort coffees that spread in the 1960s and 70s alongside the Irish coffee, and the name is spelled several ways on old menus. What has survived is the combination, which is a good one.
Variations
- Keoke without brandy: coffee liqueur and crème de cacao only, sweeter and lighter.
- Iced Keoke: the spirits and cold coffee shaken over ice, topped with cream.
- With Irish cream: in place of the crème de cacao, for a creamier, milkier drink.
- With hazelnut liqueur: in place of the brandy, close to a dessert.
Contains about one and a half measures of spirit and liqueur. Not for drivers or anyone avoiding alcohol.
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Questions
What is in a Keoke coffee?
Hot coffee with brandy, coffee liqueur and crème de cacao, topped with whipped cream.
Does Keoke coffee need sugar?
No. The coffee liqueur and crème de cacao are both sweet.
What is the difference between Keoke coffee and Irish coffee?
An Irish coffee uses Irish whiskey and brown sugar. A Keoke uses brandy with coffee and chocolate liqueurs, so it is sweeter and more like a dessert.
Can I make a Keoke coffee without brandy?
Yes, with just the two liqueurs. It will be sweeter and lighter.