Café Amore

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Cocktail History

The Café Amore is a coffee cocktail that is believed to have been created in Paris, France. Although the recipe varies depending on the French café, this version published in the book Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter by Jassy Davis is based on the classic, which calls for hot coffee poured over Cognac and amaretto and is topped with whipped cream and almonds.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Coffee: This is a beverage made with ground coffee beans and water, which are brewed or steeped to develop a rich, slightly bitter flavor.

Cognac: This is a type of brandy made in the Cognac region of France with grapes and yeast, which are distilled and then aged in oak barrels to develop a smooth, complex flavor.

Amaretto Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with almonds or apricot kernels, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, nutty flavor.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water, which are heated into a syrup with a sweet flavor.

Whipped Cream: This is a dairy topping made with cream and sugar, which are whipped into a light, airy texture.

Grated Almond: This is a seed. I used almonds from the bulk section at my local grocery store.

Brands I Used

• 🔗 D’USSÉ VSOP Cognac
• 🔗 Disaronno Originale Amaretto
• 🔗 Liber & Co. Classic Pure Cane Gum Syrup
• 🔗 Reddi-Wip Original Dairy Whipped Topping

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface and used for catching spills, providing grip for glasses and tools, and keeping the workspace clean and organized.

Jigger: This is a small double-sided tool with different volume measurements on each side that’s used for accurately portioning ingredients.

Bar Spoon: This is a long-handled spoon with a twisted shaft that’s used for stirring cocktails, layering ingredients, and reaching the bottom of tall glasses and mixing vessels.

Coffee Maker: This is a kitchen appliance that brews coffee by passing hot water through ground coffee beans.

Grater: This is a kitchen tool with sharp perforated edges that’s used for finely shredding, grating, or zesting ingredients.

Irish Coffee Mug: This is a heat-resistant glass mug with a sturdy handle and footed base that’s used for serving warm cocktails and coffee drinks.

Tools I Used

• 🔗 A Bar Above 18×12 Premium Bar Mat
• 🔗 A Bar Above Stainless Steel Japanese Jigger
• 🔗 Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon
• 🔗 Breville Precision Brewer Thermal Coffee Maker
• 🔗 OXO Good Grips Handheld Grater
• 🔗 Godinger Dublin Irish Coffee Mug

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Dark brown with a creamy top

• Aroma: Almond and cream

• Taste: Straightforward coffee flavor laced with noticeable brandy spices and nut

• Finish: Brandy burn and bitter coffee

Kendall’s Take: “There’s really not much to say about this drink, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As you can probably tell from the list of ingredients, it’s really just a straightforward, bold coffee-based cocktail that has hints of brandy and almond in it. I can’t say it’s my favorite coffee drink because the coffee flavor is so strong and I don’t usually drink that much, but the Café Amore is still tasty and worth trying at least once if you’re a devoted drinker of the bean.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was found in the book Winter Warmers: 60 Cosy Cocktails for Autumn & Winter by Jassy Davis.