Che Caldo! (molé Espresso Martini) Recipe

Chill glass

Place a coupe or martini glass in the freezer for at least 5 minutes or fill with ice water while you prepare the cocktail to ensure it’s well chilled.

Pull 1 ounce of fresh espresso and keep it hot (about 1 oz). If you don’t have an espresso machine, make 1 oz very strong coffee.

In a cocktail shaker, add the sliced and seeded jalapeño (1/2 piece). Muddle gently 6–8 times — you want to release the oils and a mild heat, not pulverize it. Taste a tiny drop on a spoon if unsure; you can always add more heat later.

Add the tequila (1.5 oz), mezcal (0.5 oz), Kahlúa (1 oz), simple syrup (0.5 oz), and 2 dashes cacao bitters into the shaker with the muddled jalapeño.

Add the hot espresso (1 oz) to the shaker. Adding hot espresso will help create a silky crema and slightly warm the drink — this is part of the 'caldo' character.

Fill the shaker with ice (about 6 ice cubes). Secure the lid and perform a hard, energetic shake for 15–20 seconds. The combination of hot espresso and ice should create a rich, frothy crema and properly chill and dilute the cocktail.

Remove the chilled glass from the freezer or discard the ice water. Using a hawthorne strainer and a fine mesh (or double strain), pour the cocktail into the chilled coupe/martini glass to remove jalapeño solids and small ice shards.

Garnish with a thin jalapeño slice floated on the crema and sprinkle cacao nibs or grate a little dark chocolate (about 1 tsp) over the top. Optionally add one more very light dash of cacao bitters on the surface for aroma.

Serve immediately. Advise guests that the cocktail carries a gentle heat from the muddled jalapeño balanced by coffee, cacao, sweet Kahlúa, and smoky mezcal.