Café Amore 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 Amore Hot Coffee Cocktail
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Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Warm, nutty, and delicious, the café amore is a fantastic hot coffee cocktail. Its beauty lies in its simplicity, with the combination of cognac and amaretto creating a warm and inviting flavor that you're sure to fall in love with.

The recipe requires just three ingredients, so it mixes up faster than you can brew a fresh pot of coffee. It's topped with a heaping mound of whipped cream and a few shaved almonds to complement the amaretto. Try this one as a dessert drink or when you want to sit down with a warm cocktail on a chilly afternoon.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce cognac

  • 1 ounce amaretto liqueur

  • 6 ounces black coffee, or to taste

  • Whipped cream, for garnish

  • Shaved almonds, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Pour the cognac and amaretto into an Irish coffee glass.

  3. Fill with hot coffee.

  4. Top with whipped cream and garnish with shaved almonds. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • Though cognac is recommended, any style of brandy will make a fine café amore. You can even save a little money and pour a mid-range brandy because the drink's flavors are so strong that you won't notice the difference.
  • This drink will be best with the richest, darkest cup of coffee you have the capability to brew. You'll see a drastic improvement when you skip the drip brewer and choose alternative brewing methods like a French press or pour-over brewer.
  • If you want to get crafty in the bar, make your own amaretto. The easiest homemade amaretto recipe is made with white and brown sugars, vodka, and almond and vanilla extracts. It can be ready within one hour, so it's a great last-minute project.

Recipe Variations

  • Typically, the café amore uses equal parts (1 ounce each) of the two liquors, while the French connection coffee has 1 1/2 ounces cognac and 1/2 ounce amaretto.
  • It's also a delightful drink when made with iced coffee. Try it with coffee-flavored ice cubes so it doesn't get diluted with water. To make them, simply freeze fresh-brewed coffee in your ice cube tray. You could also combine coffee and Irish cream in the cubes.
  • Also on the cooler side, you can skip the coffee and make a French Connection No. 1 cocktail. It combines cognac and amaretto over ice in an old-fashioned glass.
  • Switching from brandy to rum creates a delicious cocktail called the café Caribbean.
  • If you're in the mood for whiskey, pour a shot of that instead of brandy. From bourbon to Irish whiskey, almost any style will be a nice pairing for the amaretto.

How Strong Is a Café Amore?

It's possible that the café amore has more of a caffeine kick than alcohol. It's a very gentle mixed drink that should weigh in somewhere around 8 percent ABV (16 proof) when made with an 80-proof brandy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
259 Calories
8g Fat
14g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 259
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 7mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 12g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 41mg 3%
Iron 0mg 3%
Potassium 191mg 4%
*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.)