Jamaican Coffee is a hot rum-and-coffee cocktail with Tia Maria, brown sugar, and a lightly whipped cream float. It follows the same broad family as Irish Coffee while shifting the flavor toward rum, coffee liqueur, and deeper caramel notes.
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- Tia Maria - adds coffee, vanilla, and rum-like sweetness.
- Rum - provides the spirit base and Caribbean character.
- Coffee - supplies the hot roasted backbone.
- Heavy Cream - creates a cool, soft layer over the coffee.
- Brown Sugar - adds caramel-like sweetness and rounds the coffee's bitterness.
A dark or aged rum can replace the general rum for a deeper flavor. Another coffee liqueur can replace Tia Maria, though the drink will lose some of its Jamaican connection.
Equipment
- Irish Coffee Cup
- Bar spoon
- Small whisk
Rum, Coffee, and a Cool Cream Layer
The drink works best when the coffee underneath stays hot and the cream remains cool and only lightly whipped. That contrast keeps the drink from feeling heavy while letting the rum and Tia Maria remain distinct beneath the cream.
Substitutions & Variations
- Use dark or aged rum for more molasses and oak character.
- Replace Tia Maria with another coffee liqueur when needed.
- Use demerara sugar instead of brown sugar for a slightly cleaner caramel note.
- Add a small amount of grated nutmeg or cocoa over the cream.
- Use decaffeinated coffee when preferred.
Helpful Tips
- Preheat the Irish Coffee Cup with hot water before building.
- Stir the Brown Sugar into the hot liquid until fully dissolved.
- Whip the Heavy Cream only until it thickens slightly and still pours easily.
- Float the cream slowly over the back of a spoon.
- Do not stir after adding the cream; sip the coffee through the cool layer.
