fruit juices and strong spirits, dressed with a sparkly umbrella and a piece of
pineapple. It might surprise you to know about the vast range of coffee
cocktails around, for those looking for a different sort of lift. With the
advent of grind and brew coffee makers we can make the perfect cup of coffee
right in our kitchen, now we just need something exciting to mix with it! We
will start with the very simple and innocent frappe, mostly found in Europe and
South America it is made by mixing crushed ice, sugar milk and cold espresso,
and is a popular drink during hot weather. The addition of one measure of brandy
and another of crème de cacao makes a more exciting drink. The antithesis of
the simple frappe is the decadent Cappuccino Borgia. This consists of a mixture
of orange juice, freshly peeled orange, a double dark espresso, milk, and
chocolate ice cream. The sweetness of the ice cream is offset but the sharpness
of the citrus fruit and the bitter taste of the coffee creating a fantastic
overall taste. Back to something lighter, and we could try a Calypso Cooler,
straight from the Caribbean. A couple of properly ripe bananas and some coffee
ice cream mixed with a cool strong filter coffee is the base. However, for a
truly Caribbean experience, a measure of rum can five the Cooler the lift it
requires. For a filling alternative, we can look to the ancient world for a
Caffee Zabaglone, or a more modern version found in New Orleans. The Caffee
Zabaglone mixed marsala, sugar, egg yolks a little salt and a good strong
Italian brew. This was all whisked and heated until thick. The New Orleans
version incorporates a strong full bodied American roast with full cream, eggnog
and bourbon, and is popular around Mardi Gras. For a truly warming
experience, the Scandinavians have concocted the Cardamom Caffee. Traditionally
this spice is used in thick strong Turkish coffee, and it can give quite a kick
to any hot drink. For the Cardamom Caffee, mix Cognac and Curacao, with sugar
and a Cardamom pod. Heat briefly and then set alight with a match. Add a strong
dark filter coffee and enjoy the results!