The Rhine town of Rüdesheim’s coffee, created in 1957 by the television chef Hans Karl Adam for the brandy maker Asbach: sugar cubes and Asbach Uralt brandy set alight in the cup to caramelise, hot coffee poured in to put out the flame, and a crown of vanilla whipped cream and grated dark chocolate.
It involves an open flame. Read the safety notes first.
Untested: not yet made in this kitchen. It is here for the Coffee Liqueurs, Irish Coffee and Coffee Cocktails page.
Ingredients
- 3 sugar cubes
- 4 cl (1⅓ oz) Asbach Uralt or another German brandy
- 125 ml (½ cup) hot, strong black coffee
- 3 tablespoons whipped cream, sweetened with vanilla sugar
- 1 teaspoon grated dark chocolate
Directions
- Put the sugar cubes in a heatproof cup, ideally a thick Rüdesheimer cup or a stemmed glass coffee cup, on a heatproof surface away from anything that can burn.
- Measure the brandy into a small jug, away from any flame, then pour it over the sugar. Light it with a long match or lighter, standing back.
- Let it burn for about a minute, stirring gently with a long spoon, until the sugar starts to melt.
- Pour in the hot coffee to put the flame out, and stir.
- Top with the vanilla whipped cream and sprinkle with grated chocolate.
Notes
Where this comes from Wikipedia’s Rüdesheimer Kaffee (citing Asbach): 125 ml hot black coffee, 3 sugar cubes, 4 cl Asbach Uralt, flamed together in the Rüdesheimer cup, topped with whipped cream with vanilla sugar and dark chocolate shavings. Created 1957 by Hans Karl Adam. Flame safety Never pour from the bottle near a flame; the flame can travel into the bottle. Measure the spirit first. Keep long hair and sleeves back, keep a lid or damp cloth at hand to smother the flame, and do not move the cup while it burns. A thin glass can crack in the heat. The photo A Rüdesheimer Kaffee with cream and chocolate, 2021.