What Is Colada Coffee and How to Make It at Home? (5 Min Recipe)

Cubans enjoy their coffee. If you visit Miami, you will notice that many people order una coladas and are served a Styrofoam cup filled with hot sweet coffee and smaller cups shaped like shot glasses. This Cuban tradition combines history, great coffee, and enjoyable social gatherings.

If you’re visiting Cuba or South Florida, you must try colada coffee. Every culture has an iconic coffee ritual, and in many Cuban communities, this social beverage is a mainstay.

Although the drink is creamy and energising, the social context in which it is frequently served is truly unique. It’s not often that art and science collide, let alone friendship. And this is one of those uncommon occurrences.

We’ll look at what colada is, how it differs from other types of Cuban coffee, and how to make it at home in this post.

What is a Colada Coffee?

Colada coffee is a small, sweet espresso shot popular in Cuba and Miami. It’s made with a Moka pot or an espresso machine and has a light, sweet foam on top created by mixing brown sugar with the first drops of espresso. Colada coffee is usually made in bulk and shared with friends or family.

Let’s learn a little more about this unique beverage before we get started on how to make it.

Reason You’ll Love it

If you enjoy learning about coffee’s cultural traditions, a cup of colada is a must-try ritual. Most people consider Italy, France, and (occasionally) Spain to be the leaders of coffee culture. However, few things rival coffee in Cuban communities. Here are a few reasons why you should drink colada.

Other Types of Cuban Coffee?

Colorado coffee, which is what we’re making today, is Cuban coffee and there are more types of Cuban coffee as below

Different Traditional Ways of Making Colada Coffee

Colada coffee is the Cuban equivalent of espresso. It’s a large cup of sweet, strong coffee served in smaller, thimble-sized cups to share.

On top is a layer of foam (or “crema”) made by combining a tablespoon of espresso with a bit of sugar.

However, colada coffee is much more than just espresso and sugar. It’s made in large batches and then shared with a group of people, making it the ideal beverage for sharing and relaxing with.

You might be tempted to make some Colada coffee for yourself now that you have a better understanding of what it is.

An espresso machine or a Moka pot can be used to make delicious Colada coffee. I’ll show you how to make approximately six servings using both of these methods below:

With a Moka Pot:

The most popular method is to make Colada coffee in a Moka pot, which takes less than five minutes and requires only two ingredients:

Here’s how to make delicious Colada coffee in your Moka pot:

With an Espresso Machine

If you don’t have a Moka pot, an espresso machine will suffice to make strong Colada coffee.

Here’s how to make the best Colada coffee with an espresso machine:

The Best Coffee Beans for Making Colada Coffee

Colada coffee is best made with the same coffee grounds that are used to make espresso.

The best coffee beans for making Colada coffee are listed below:

1. Naviera Cuban Style Dark Roasted Coffee

Dark roasted coffee beans provide a bold, full-bodied, and rich flavour profile that is ideal for making Colada coffee.

Naviera’s Cuban Dark Roasted Coffee (available on Amazon.com) is an excellent choice for preparing Colada coffee.

Its robust chicory flavour profile, with earthy and slightly woody flavour notes, pairs well with Colada coffee’s added sugar.

If you are caffeine sensitive, consider this coffee brand because it contains less caffeine than other dark-roasted coffee.

You should also reconsider using this coffee bean if you dislike the taste of chicory, which is earthy and slightly nutty.

2. Chock Full o’Nuts Cuban Roast Ground Coffee

If you prefer your coffee to have a lot of sweet flavour notes and a floral aroma, Chock Full o’Nuts Cuban Ground Coffee (available on Amazon.com) might be a good choice for making Colada coffee.

With a bold, bitter, and slightly sour finish, the sweet cocoa and flowery notes are well-balanced.

3. Cafe Pilon Espresso Ground Coffee

Cafe Pilon Espresso Coffee (Amazon.com) is extremely bold and smoky, with slightly earthy flavour notes.

If you’re not used to drinking strong espresso, the dark-roasted beans will provide a strong coffee flavour that may be too much for you.

The intense aroma and slight bitterness, on the other hand, are ideal for making Colada coffee because the sugar content slightly tempers it.

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Conclusion

Colada coffee is a popular social drink in Cuba and Miami. A Moka pot is the most common method for making Colada coffee, but an espresso machine also works well.

To begin, combine a few drops of espresso and sugar to make a sugar and foam mixture.

Dark-roasted Cuban coffee beans are ideal for making Colada coffee.

Many Cuban coffee varieties are similar, but Colada coffee is distinct because it is served in tiny cups, prepared in large batches, and contains sugar but no milk.

If you enjoy making espresso drinks like this Colada coffee at home, you might want to try some of the other espresso-based drinks listed below:

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