Café Royal Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 05/13/21
Cafe royal - hot coffee cocktail

Lew Robertson/StockFood Creative/Getty Images

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Like most spiked coffee drinks, the café royal is simple and uses only one spirit to complement fresh-brewed, black coffee. It's extremely low-proof and a casual cocktail that has more caffeine than alcohol. This makes it perfect for an afternoon sipper or a smooth, relaxing after dinner coffee.

The recipe comes from Patron Spirits and features their coffee-flavored liqueur, Patron XO Café. It's unique in that it has a tequila base that's accented with coffee essence. This rich coffee liqueur is drier and lacks the sweetness of its common counterparts. Quite simply, it transforms your average cup of coffee into a delightful experience.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 ounce coffee liqueur

  • 6 ounces hot black coffee

  • Whipped cream, for garnish

  • Cocoa powder, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a heated coffee mug, pour the Patrón XO Café.

  3. Fill to within 1 inch of the top with coffee.

  4. Top with fresh whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • Pour as much coffee liqueur as you like. The recommended 1/2 ounce is very small and you might like to give it a boost with a full shot (1 1/2 ounces).
  • The key to an impressive coffee cocktail begins with the coffee. Take the time to brew the richest, most flavorful coffee you can.
  • Though it is really nice, you can skip the fresh whipped cream and use a whipped topping instead. The pressurized can version makes it easy to top cocktails.

How Strong Is a Café Royal?

This cocktail is so light that you'll hardly be able to tell you're drinking spiked coffee. If you stick with the 1/2-ounce pour of Patron XO Cafe, it mixes up to just 2 percent ABV (4 proof). That's almost half the average beer.

Recipe Variations

  • Add an extra kick to your café royal with a shot of tequila. The slight aging of reposado tequilas is a great addition to this drink and will give it an extra dimension of flavor.
  • The café royal is a great candidate for an iced coffee cocktail. For this version, consider making cold brew coffee. It's filled with the natural flavor of coffee beans and a great base for chilled drinks. This method takes at least 6 hours to brew, so you'll need to plan ahead.
  • There is also a popular coffee cocktail that goes by the name café royale. In this one, you'll pour a full cup of rich, black coffee. Place a sugar cube on top of a spoon and, while holding it over the cup, saturate it with brandy (up to 1 1/2 ounces, though some will spill over). Light the brandy on fire and when the flame is nearly extinguished, flip the spoon so its contents drop into the coffee.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
78 Calories
2g Fat
7g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 78
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 5mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 3%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 10mg 1%
Iron 1mg 4%
Potassium 101mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)