Non-Alcoholic Calypso Coffee

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This Non-Alcoholic Calypso Coffee is a unique drink that’s great for those chilly autumn and winter days. It’s made with non-alcoholic spirits, hot coffee, brown sugar, and a hint of vanilla. The bittersweet flavor of the drink is complimented by a smooth, decadent layer of heavy cream.

Hand holding non-alcoholic calypso coffee.

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What is a Calypso Coffee?
Ingredients
Instructions (with photos)
Tips
FAQ
📖 Recipe

What is a Calypso Coffee?

This traditionally spiked coffee drink is similar to an Irish coffee except it replaces the whiskey with rum. The drink features four main ingredients – dark rum, coffee liqueur, coffee, and some sort of sweetener. It’s sometimes made with Tia Maria which is made with Madagascar vanilla, Jamaican rum, and Arabica coffee.

It’s then topped with a light layer of heavy cream that’s dripped over the back of a spoon to create a smooth floating layer.

We put a non-alcoholic spin on the traditional Calypso Coffee by using alcohol free spirits and adding flavors similar to what’s in Tia Maria. The drink has a bittersweet taste that’s perfectly balanced by the light layer of cream on top.

It makes a decadent morning pick-me-up or dessert drink that’s best enjoyed in the colder months. No need to stir as it’s best when sipped on slowly.

Ingredients

Non-Alcoholic Coffee Liqueur: This adds a unique, slightly bitter coffee flavor.
Non-Alcoholic Dark Rum: This gives it that extra “spiked” element reminiscent of the real thing.
Hot Coffee: Use strong, freshly brewed coffee.
Dark Brown Sugar: This lightly sweetens the drink and gives it a slight caramel flavor.
Vanilla Bean Paste/Extract: We prefer to use paste but you can substitute with pure vanilla extract.
Heavy Cream: Don’t skip this! It’s balances out the whole drink and gives it a nice creamy consistency with each sip.
Chocolate Shavings (optional): We highly recommend adding a few shavings of dark chocolate on top. You can also add a dash of cinnamon or cocoa powder.

Instructions (with photos)

First, add your non-alcoholic dark rum, coffee liqueur, and hot coffee to a glass.

Non-alcoholic dark rum being poured into a glass. — Add the zero proof dark rum.

Non-alcoholic coffee liqueur being poured into a glass. — Pour in the “coffee liqueur”.

Coffee being poured into a glass. — Top it off with hot coffee.

Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla paste (or extract) until everything has dissolved.

Lightly whip the cream then pour it over the back of a spoon held right above the drink. This creates a floating layer on top and prevents the cream from sinking.

Lastly, top with chocolate shavings add a dash of cinnamon or cocoa powder.

Hand stirring a coffee drink. — Stir in the brown sugar and vanilla until dissolved.

Pouring cream over the back of a spoon into a cup. — Pour the cream over the back of a spoon.

Tips

Don’t stir the drink. What makes a Calypso Coffee enjoyable is the bit of cream you get before you hit the bittersweet taste of the coffee underneath. Stirring it gets rid of that balance between the two parts.
Hold the spoon close to the top of the coffee. To get that crisp layer of cream, place the spoon right above the drink to allow the heavy cream to gently fall on top. Doing this prevents it from sinking.

FAQ

Where can I get non-alcoholic coffee liqueur and dark rum?

We use Lyre’s products for almost all our drinks made with non-alcoholic spirits (not sponsored, just love their stuff). You can get them directly from the Lyre’s website (they ship to 35+ countries). You can also get them from other low-ABV stores like No & Low and Boisson. If you’re lucky, some brick and mortar stores might even carry some of their products.

How do I measure the ingredients without a jigger?

You can easily convert fluid ounces into even tablespoons and cups for this recipe. 1 fluid ounce is the same as 2 tablespoons. ½ a fluid once is 1 tablespoon, and 4 fluid ounces is the same as ½ a cup.

What kind of glass do I use?

This is a fairly small drink (just under 1 cup), so any small glass will do.

Hand grabbing a non-alcoholic calypso coffee.

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