Carajillo: The coffee cocktail beating espresso martinis

Unbelievable!

According to Metro's drinks column, the carajillo (pronounced caah-raah-hee-yo) is winning converts for one simple reason: it is far less faff than its frothy rival, yet every bit as satisfying. In a world where the cost of a night out keeps climbing, a two-ingredient stunner that can be built in seconds has obvious appeal, both behind the bar and at home.

So why has this particular coffee cocktail chosen this summer to break out? Part of the answer is timing. The espresso martini has become a victim of its own success, so ubiquitous that ordering one no longer feels like much of a choice at all. The carajillo offers the same caffeine-and-alcohol hit with a fresh accent and a lot less effort.

How to make a carajillo

The recipe could hardly be simpler. It calls for equal parts Licor 43 and freshly pulled espresso, shaken over ice and finished with a ribbon of orange zest. That is it. No sugar syrup, no lengthy shake to chase the perfect crema, no delicate balancing act between coffee, vodka and liqueur.

• 50ml Licor 43
• 50ml freshly-pulled espresso
• Ice, plus a twist of orange zest to garnish

Pour the liquid into a shaker with the ice, shake, and strain. The result is simple yet potent, and one of the carajillo's quiet advantages is its flexibility: it can be served chilled over ice in the heat of summer, or warm and comforting when the weather turns. The vanilla-and-citrus character of Licor 43 does much of the heavy lifting, softening the espresso's bitter edge without a spoonful of sugar in sight.

Why the carajillo is winning

Its simplicity is precisely its superpower. Joe Harper, head of food and beverage operations at The Zetter hotel, says the drink's low-effort charm is exactly why bartenders are warming to it.

The carajillo is definitely a lot easier to put together than a good espresso martini. So I can totally understand the appeal. — Joe Harper, The Zetter

For a busy bar, a drink that delivers on flavour without tying up a bartender for several minutes is a genuine commercial win, and for the home host it removes most of the intimidation from making a proper cocktail.

It is far from the only culture to have married coffee and booze. The carajillo is Spain's answer to the Irish Coffee, the Norwegian Karsk and the Italian Caffe Corretto, a "corrected coffee" that adds a shot of something stronger to the morning cup. Each is a reminder that the impulse to spike your coffee is a very old one. What sets the Spanish version apart is that stripped-back, two-ingredient elegance, which travels easily from a Madrid terrace to a British kitchen.

Whether it topples the espresso martini for good remains to be seen, and plenty of drinkers will stay loyal to their frothy favourite. But if you fancy a boozy coffee that takes seconds rather than minutes to build, the carajillo has earned its place on your summer menu. Just be warned: for something so easy to make, it packs a serious punch.