By Janette Zepeda
TheKitchn.com
I have fond memories of sipping café de olla, a traditional Mexican coffee brewed with warm spices, when I was growing up. It always felt like a hug in a mug. This café de olla martini takes that nostalgic flavor and transforms it into a sophisticated cocktail—it’s the perfect combination of childhood memories and adult indulgence. Café de olla is traditionally made with pilloncillo (an unrefined Mexican cane sugar sold in cone-shaped blocks), cinnamon, and sometimes star anise or cloves—it’s a fragrant, sweet-spiced coffee that warms both the body and soul. In this cocktail, I wanted those spices to shine; the cinnamon, piloncillo, and subtle hints of star anise wrap around the espresso and rum to evoke the cozy feeling of a chilly fall afternoon.
