Spanish Coffee

A dramatic Portland original — overproof rum and coffee liqueur meet hot coffee under a cloud of whipped cream, finished with a flamed caramelized sugar rim.

Spanish Coffee was created at Huber's Cafe in Portland, Oregon, whose history makes it the oldest restaurant in the state, continuously operated since 1879. The tableside preparation that defines Spanish Coffee was developed in the 1970s by bartender James Louie, who designed it as a theatrical showpiece: the server coats the rim of a heat-resistant glass with sugar, pours 151-proof rum, tilts the glass to ignite the rum, and rotates it to caramelize the sugar rim in the blue flame before adding coffee liqueur, hot coffee, and a cap of lightly whipped cream. The brief flaming step adds both theater and a slight caramelized bitterness from the burned sugar and warmed rum that distinguishes the preparation from a standard coffee cocktail. Huber's Cafe, at 411 SW 3rd Avenue in downtown Portland, has served Spanish Coffee continuously since Louie developed it, and the drink has become one of Portland's most recognizable culinary landmarks — servers are trained specifically in the tableside technique, and the preparation has been documented by food media as a defining Portland dining experience. The 151-proof rum required for reliable ignition (spirits below approximately 50% ABV do not burn consistently) is a key technical requirement; the flame typically burns for fifteen to thirty seconds before being extinguished by the addition of the coffee.