BITTER COFFEE

Bitter Coffee image

Maksym Pazuniak, who has tended bar at Cure in New Orleans and The Counting Room in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, is a devotee of challenging tastes. Bitter Coffee, a hot, creamy concoction suited to the winter holidays, takes as its base Cynar, the bittersweet Italian liqueur that incorporates flavors of artichoke and rhubarb, among others. A few minutes of easy whisking over a stove yields a full-flavored mugful in which the maple-vanilla roundness of the drink are snapped to attention by the edgy amaro and steaming coffee.

Provided by Robert Simonson

Time 10m

Yield 1 drink

Number Of Ingredients 7

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces Cynar
1/2 ounce dark rum
1/2 ounce maple syrup, preferably grade B
1 egg yolk
5 drops vanilla extract
3 ounces hot, strong coffee
1 whole nutmeg, or pinch ground nutmeg, for garnish

Steps:

Fill a small saucepan halfway with water. Over medium heat, bring to a gentle boil.
In a heat-safe bowl about the same diameter as the saucepan, whisk together the Cynar, rum, maple syrup, egg yolk and vanilla. Place bowl on top of the saucepan, as water continues boiling, and whisk mixture for about another 2 to 3 minutes, just long enough to warm it and thicken it slightly.
Pour mixture into an Irish coffee mug and top with the coffee while stirring. Grate whole nutmeg or sprinkle ground nutmeg over top.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 245, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 24 grams, Fat 4 grams, Protein 2 grams, SaturatedFat 1 gram, Sodium 13 milligrams, Sugar 22 grams