Monday, March 21, 2016

Suncadia Resort - Fifty6 Degrees Review

I recently went on a marriage retreat to Suncadia Resort with my wife.  I was totally blown away by the resort in general.  It has everything you need, from golf, wineries, rivers, beautiful scenery, and great food!  I had some amazing food at Swiftwater Cellars, the winery on the property.  I highly recommend the Kung Pao Calamari for an appetizer, one of the best calamaris I've ever had in my life.  The Beef Tenderloin was absolutely perfectly cooked. . . .

(Not a picture of my drink. . . .but was my reaction!
But this isn't about their food.  We walked into the bar at the Lodge, Fifty6 Degrees, for a nightcap after dinner.  I ordered a Spanish Coffee, and they basically had no idea how to make it.  They pulled  together a coffee drink in a short coffee cup, with no sugared rim, some alcohol added (tasted like Whiskey) and topped it off with canned whip cream.  That was quite an expensive $12 coffee.

I do plan on going back to Suncadia, because it is certainly a world class resort!  But next time, I'm going to go teach them how to make a real Spanish Coffee, because I can't drink whatever they gave me again.  Once I do that, I'll update this post. For now, this gets a rating of 2/10

Sunday, March 20, 2016

How to make a perfect Spanish Coffee


If you search the internet you'll find a huge variation in Spanish Coffee recipes.  Some are better than others, but this is the one which I learned and which got such rave reviews for many years.  I hope you enjoy!

Spanish Coffee Ingredients
  • 1oz 151 Rum
  • 1.5oz Kahlua
  • 1/2oz of Grand Marnier
  • Freshly Whipped Cream
  • Nutmeg and Cinnamon (in shaker) for garnishing
  • Coffee 
  • Lime/Lemon wedge
  • Granulated sugar
  1. Rub the rim of a wine glass (or snifter) with the lime/lemon wedge and dip the rim into a plate of granulated sugar.
  2. Add the 151 Rum and swirl around the inside of the glass
  3. Light the 151 Rum on fire with a match or lighter, and rotate the glass to caramelize the sugar
  4. As the fire is going, sprinkle the fire with the Nutmeg and Cinnamon for a great sparkle effect!  (This is a real crowd-pleaser if you're a bartender!)
  5. After the sugar is carmelized, add the Kalua, Grand Marnier, and coffee in that order, leaving about an inch of space from the top of the glass.
  6. Top with a layer of freshly whipped cream, and garnish with a little more Cinnamon and Nutmeg.
A couple things to note:
  • One of the keys to this drink is the whipped cream!  It's very important to not use commercial whipped cream from the can, but spend some time to pre-make some whipped cream ahead of time and keep it in the fridge.  When you add it to the drink, DO NOT MIX IT IN.  This drink is meant to be sipped through the cream, so a high quality, thick whipped cream is very important.  
  • You can substitute Tia Maria for the Kahlua (or any coffee liqueur), or Triple Sec for the Grand Marnier (or any orange liqueur)
Awesome video of how they make at Hubers in Portland

Here's a quick recipe for homemade whipped cream you can use:
1/2 pt. whipping cream
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Whip cream with mixer. Be careful not to overbeat or else will get too thick like butter. When it begins to thicken, add sugar and vanilla; stir. Refrigerate.