No trip to Cabo San Lucas necessary; now you can make this iconic Mexican Coffee with Tequila and Vanilla Ice Cream at home!

This post about Mexican Coffee with Tequila and Coffee Liqueur came about simply. I had published it almost 5 years ago and when someone asked for a recipe I went to find the one on this site and I could barely stand to copy and paste the link…oh those photos; absolutely cringe-worthy. Like many food bloggers; I started to share recipes online from a love of cooking; no one ever told me I would also have to be a food and beverage photographer!

For a long time I was not. I started with a point and click camera which died shortly afterwards. It has been used for the requisite family photos but really…we never catalogued those shots or looked at them much again and I never thought much about things like composition or lighting; it was simply ‘Smile’ and we were done.

I moved on to a nicer camera when it died but truth be told that model lasted less than a year. The DSLR bug hit me and I bit the bullet, got a nice camera and an even nicer lens and then did the only thing that can really make a difference. I practiced…and practiced some more. I still have good days and bad days; some photos I love and others I think totally ‘meh’ but I don’t hate them like I used to and I’m hoping I won’t feel drawn to redo most of the ones of the past 3 years. When I moved into a home with a dedicated space for photos right next to the kitchen it got better; I think sometimes the carting of food and equipment had me weary before I ever started!

So I will sort of redo a photo at the drop of a hat like I did today if I have ingredients on hand and for this I did. As a matter of fact I had been given a bottle Ricardo’s Coffee Liqueur that is made in Colorado and I was dying to try it. It tastes fantastic; absolutely measures up to brand ‘X’ and I love supporting companies in my home state so a great win win. The only negative? It’s only available in Colorado so use your favorite coffee liqueur if you can’t find this one.

I made these this morning so all I can afford is one little sip but fear not…they will not go to waste; I’m already anticipating a nice ‘Iced Mexican Coffee’ in a couple of hours…yum right? Want to do the same? I’ve included notes with the recipe below so check it out.

I originally made these after a friend visited Cabo San Lucas and came back insisting that I come up with a recipe for Mexican coffee. I thought of my Aunt Maria and the Mexican hot chocolate she would make for me; the real stuff. Maria was from Mexico, having met my uncle when he went on a photography assignment to Mexico. He went with a camera and came back with a bride and her young daughter Esmerelda. How I wish she were still alive; to see me change from turning my nose up at her food to loving it and learning how to prepare it for my own friends and family.

A quick search did set me straight…this cocktail is just vaguely similar to Mexican hot chocolate. Very vaguely. No chocolate but instead coffee liqueur and there is a dusting of cinnamon but beyond that? One is a child’s treat and this one is most certainly an adult one.

I could not imagine tequila in coffee…and it was an OH MY moment. It is amazing; a fantastic blend of coffee, coffee liqueur, creamy ice cream and a bite from the tequila. You must try it!

I decided to not risk burning down my home to get photos of flaming the spirits but it is apparently quite the spectacle when made in Cabo. Here? Just a very nice warming cocktail. I even eliminated the flaming in the recipe…I imagine it’s fun in Cabo but in my kitchen I decided to forgo playing with fire. I tried it and even tried taking a photo but when all was said and done; the difference was not worth the effort so I guess you’ll just have to go on vacation for that…Cheers!

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