Rüdesheimer Coffee: A German Drink with a Fiery Personality

The saying goes that if you play with fire, you’re going to get burned.

But let’s say that when you play with fire – carefully – you’ll get a delicious coffee drink instead?

And so it will go with Rüdesheimer Coffee, a fiery drink that will change the unfortunate outcome of this original warning.

Bring out the matches and booze, and let’s play!

Rüdesheimer Coffee, or Rüdesheimer Kaffee, is an ostentatious beverage that puts on a spectacular show as you are assembling it by lighting brandy on fire in the coffee mug with white sugar cubes.

After the flames die out, you then pour hot coffee over the elixir in the mug, and top it with freshly whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings.

The drink is named after Rüdesheim am Rhein, a famous winemaking town in Germany that is situated in the Rheingau wine region of the state of Hesse.

The most documented account of the drink’s origin story says a German television chef named Hans Karl Adam invented it in the late 1950s, as part of a local marketing campaign to promote Asbach Uralt, a brandy produced by the company Asbach GmbH based in Rüdesheim am Rhein.

As a tasty homage to the town and surrounding wine-producing region which it is named after, Rüdesheimer Coffee should ideally be made with Asbach Uralt. If it is not available to purchase where you buy liquor, you can substitute your favorite brandy.

There is also a beautiful mug and saucer specifically designed for Rüdesheimer Coffee, featuring red text and a German landscape image, but any coffee mug that is resistant to fire and heat will do.

Stay safe in the kitchen, and don’t skip our assembly advice in the recipe and Cooking by the Numbers sections below.

Playing with fire can be fun without the burns, but only if you know how to be smart and safe!

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Cooking by the Numbers…

Step 1 – Measure and Prep

Decide how you want to make the whipped cream: either by hand with a whisk in a bowl, or using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. You can also use an immersion blender with a whisk attachment.

Prepare the appliance you typically use for making coffee, using the appropriate amount of water to brew about 1 1/2 cups.

Measure and grind the quantity of whole beans recommended for your appliance to create a strong brew. Using whole beans, as opposed to pre-ground, is one of our top five favorite coffee hacks to improve the flavor!

Make sure the mugs you are using are heatproof, then make sure they are clean and dry. Trace amounts of water might prevent the brandy from igniting.

For your other utensils and equipment, set out a long-handled spoon for stirring at a safe distance, a small pot for heating the liquor, a long-handled pot that is large enough to fit over one mug, potholders to protect your hands, tongs, a vegetable peeler, and long matchsticks.

Set out more matchsticks than you think you need – at least four – in case you don’t light them successfully on the first attempt. Don’t try to use regular short matchsticks. You want there to be enough distance between your hand and the flame to do this safely.

And, most importantly, keep your fire extinguisher nearby!

Measure out the heavy whipping cream and brandy. Set out the sugar cubes and bar of dark chocolate.

Step 2 – Make the Whipped Cream and Shave the Chocolate

Whip the cream until soft and fluffy peaks form. This will take about 2 minutes.

To create a simple dollop of cream on top of each mug, it should still be very soft and luscious after whipping, and the peaks should just barely hold their shape.

For a pretty presentation, you could also whip the cream for another 30 seconds to 1 minute to create stiffer peaks. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a large star attachment to pipe swirls on top of the liquid base.

Store the whipped cream in the refrigerator to keep it cold while you complete the remaining steps. You can store it covered in plastic wrap in the bowl that you whipped it in, or in a piping bag.

To make the chocolate shavings, repeatedly and gently scrape your vegetable peeler over one side of the chocolate bar, holding it over a plate. You won’t need much for this delicate garnish, about two teaspoons or so.

But you can obviously shave more if you’re a chocoholic…

Set this aside for now – you can also place it in the refrigerator along with the whipped cream if you are wary of the heat in your kitchen.

Step 3 – Make the Coffee

Make the coffee in your appliance.

Keep it warm until you need it in Step 6.

Step 4 – Place Sugar in the Mugs and Heat the Brandy

Place two sugar cubes in each mug. Place the mugs on a heatproof surface away from any flammable objects. And double check that there are absolutely no flammable objects nearby.

This means putting the liquor bottle back on your shelf after measuring! Don’t leave it out!

Pour the brandy in the small pot and heat it up on the stovetop over low heat. Gently heat it until it just begins to simmer, but does not boil.

Hot brandy will be light more quickly and easily than if you used it at room temperature. If you find that the flame will not catch in the mug, it may be because the brandy isn’t warm enough.

Step 5 – Pour the Hot Brandy in the Mugs and Light on Fire

Immediately remove the pot from the stovetop and pour an equal amount in both mugs.

Working quickly while the liquor is still hot, light one matchstick and carefully bring the flame to the surface of the brandy in one mug.

The flame should catch immediately – quickly remove the matchstick from the mug and smother the flame on the matchstick.

Without touching the mug, allow the flame to completely die out. This will take about one minute.

If the flame has been burning for longer than one minute, this is where the larger pot will save the day. Carefully place the pot upside-down over the mug, and leave it there for about 10 seconds. This will cut off any air supply, smothering the flame.

Using your heatproof tongs or potholders, lift the pot away from the mug by its handle.

Using the long-handled spoon, stir the brandy to dissolve the sugar. Be careful – the mug will be hot on the outside!

Immediately repeat this process with a new matchstick in the other mug, working quickly while the spirit is still hot.

Step 6 – Pour in the Coffee

When all the fiery fun is over, and the applause from your guests has settled, pour an equal amount of the hot coffee into each mug.

Briefly stir the coffee with the long-handled spoon.

Step 7 – Garnish and Serve

Take out the whipped cream and shaved chocolate from the refrigerator. Dollop the whipped cream on top, or pipe on top in large swirls. Sprinkle the chocolate on top of the whipped cream.

Serve and enjoy immediately while the drink is hot, and the whipped cream is still fluffy and cold.