I LOVE Mardi Gras. I just love it. It turns out that I went a bit overboard this Mardi Gras season…buying King Cake Flavored vodka, and King Cake Flavored coffee… I drew the line at King Cake Flavored soda, but it’s a pretty thin line. But then I realized that most of the drinks people are making with King Cake vodka are just plain terrible and honestly I’m not sure that anyone but 21 year old tourists in New Orleans for the first time ever would drink them. King Cake coffee is pretty delicious, but maybe just a bit too much for everyday consumption.
So what do I do? I make a pre-parade slash post dinner party coffee cocktail (AND a virgin version for festive non-drinkers.) As a nod to KING Cake, I named it Le Roi Cafe.` You’ve had Irish Coffee, right? Well, this just might be better.
What you need for the Cocktail:
TAAKA King Cake Flavored vodka (it’s southern-born and southern bred, plus New Orleans tasters said it was the best. AND it’s CHEAP… like $7.50)
a Pot of STRONG, STRONG coffee OR if making the virgin version, Community Coffee King Cake Coffee
Green, purple, and gold sugar
Homemade whipped cream
For the sugars:
Red, blue, yellow food coloring
3 small plastic bags
1 cup sugar, divided into 3rds
For the Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 Cups heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (Can be left out if not making the cream ahead of time.)
I promise, The Le Roi Cafe` will keep you warm, it will make you happy, and even if you aren’t going to a parade, it’ll make you want to holler “Laissez bon temps rouler!!” to all passers-by.
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