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The carajillo is a classic of the Spanish after-dinner drinks and this 2024 is living a second youth coming back stronger than ever and positioning itself as a coffee trend in the most sophisticated restaurants. Proof of this has been the celebration of the first Contest of the best Carajillo 43 in The Wine Edition, organized within the framework of Madrid Fusion, and in which six prestigious restaurants have participated with original proposals. Finally, Denys Cherkasov, bartender of COOKTL, the cocktail bar of the restaurant La Salita in Valencia, won the contest and became the best Carajillo 43 in Spain.
This is how to prepare a Miel de oro, the best carajillo in Spain
Finally, the prize went to Begoña Rodrigo’s restaurant La Salita, thanks to the elaboration of Miel de oro. This carajillo 43 is inspired by the amber hue shared by high quality honey and Licor 43, but without the use of sugars or colorants. “This cocktail does not include any honey, but it is as silky as the best in the world, Golden Honey,” explains Denys Cherkasov, the restaurant’s bartender.
The base is a combination of Licor 43, specialty coffee, fennel and tonka bean, which evokes the aromas of vanilla. To make it, Cherkasov shakes 3 cl of Licor 43 in a shaker with 9 cl of his own gold cordial. “This is a maceration of 20 cl of Licor 43 for 24 hours with 200 grams of fresh fennel and a grated tonka bean. Then, we add 25 ml of specialty espresso and 4 cl of Meyer lemon juice -which gives it a very Levantine touch. We finish by clarifying with 5 cl of lactose-free evaporated milk”.
The cocktail is decorated with a tonka bean cookie -based on rice flour, butter, maple syrup and grated tonka bean- and a coffee bean sphere with its own golden cordial bathed in vegetable gelling agent and Licor 43.
These are the finalist carajillos
It was not an easy decision for the jury, which was composed of industry specialists such as Ferrán Centelles, sommelier and drinks manager at @ElBulliFoundation; Francisco Arias, director of operations at Grupo Paraguas; Paola Freire Gómez-Chao, creator of @foodtropia; Luisa López Tellería, gastronomic designer and professor at the BCC; and Robert Morata, spirits Brand Ambassador for Zamora Company Iberia.
The rest of the finalist proposals were also of high quality. The winning carajillo from La Salita has found tough competitors in the creations of the restaurants ConSentido by Carlos Hernández del Río (Salamanca), Kamezi (Lanzarote), Trocadero Commodore (Madrid), Casa Nova by Andrés Torres (Barcelona) and Bakan by Sergio Suazo (Madrid).
