Cafe Royal (Café Royale): The Coffee and Flaming Brandy Drink

A cafe royal, also spelled café royale, is hot black coffee sweetened with a sugar cube that has been soaked in brandy or cognac on a spoon, briefly set alight, then stirred into the cup. The flame caramelizes the sugar a little and softens the spirit’s bite, leaving a warm, lightly sweet, brandy-scented coffee. You need only four things: strong coffee, a sugar cube, about 1/2 oz (15 ml) of brandy and a spoon.

This drink contains alcohol and is for adults of legal drinking age (21+ in the US). Please enjoy responsibly, and never drink and drive.

A Short History of the Cafe Royal

Coffee and brandy have kept company for a long time. English newspapers and cookbooks from the 1800s describe a “coffee royal,” sometimes also called a gloria, and an 1870s recipe notes the drink was widely enjoyed in France under the name gloria. The method described then is close to today’s: sugar in strong coffee, cognac floated on top from the back of a spoon, set alight, allowed to burn briefly, then stirred and drunk at once. The Frenchified spelling “café royale” turns up in American newspapers by the 1880s.

The word “royal” here simply means first-rate, a fancy name for a small luxury. You will find plenty of romantic stories online about who invented it, but there is no solid evidence for any of them, so we will leave the legends there.

Flaming coffee drinks have relatives too. New Orleans has its spiced, theatrical café brûlot, and Ireland gave the world the cream-topped classic told in the true story of Irish coffee. The cafe royal is the simplest of the family.

How to Make a Cafe Royal

Ingredients (1 drink)

• 5–6 oz (150–180 ml) hot, strong black coffee
• 1 sugar cube (white or brown)
• 1/2 oz (15 ml) brandy or cognac, at room temperature
• Optional: a strip of orange or lemon peel

Equipment

• A heatproof cup or mug
• A metal spoon, ideally a long-handled one, or a special café royale spoon with hooks that rest on the rim
• A long match or long-reach lighter
• A small plate or saucer to smother the flame if needed

Steps

1. Brew the coffee. Fill your cup about three-quarters full with hot, strong coffee. A dark roast works best.
2. Prepare the spoon. Place the sugar cube on the spoon and rest or hold the spoon over the cup.
3. Soak the cube. Cap and move the brandy bottle well away. Slowly pour the measured brandy over the sugar cube in the spoon until it is saturated and a little pools around it.
4. Warm it briefly. Hold the spoon just above the hot coffee for about 20 seconds so the steam warms the brandy, which helps it light.
5. Light it. With a long match, touch the flame to the edge of the spoon. A soft blue flame will appear; it can be almost invisible in bright light, so dim the room.
6. Let it burn briefly. Allow it to burn for 10–20 seconds, until the sugar starts to bubble and melt.
7. Extinguish and stir. Lower the spoon into the coffee, which puts out the flame, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Make sure no flame remains before you drink.

Safety First: Flaming Coffee at Home

A tiny flame on a spoon is manageable, but alcohol fires spread fast and the flame is hard to see. Follow these rules every time:

• Never pour from the bottle near a flame. Measure the brandy into a small glass first, then pour from that. Flame can travel back into an open bottle.
• Clear the area. Keep towels, paper napkins and decorations away, and tie back long hair and loose sleeves.
• Work on a stable, heatproof surface with the cup sitting securely, not in your hand.
• Use a long match or lighter, never a short one held close to the spoon.
• Keep a plate or lid nearby to smother an unexpected flame. Do not use water on burning alcohol spills; smother them.
• Keep it small. One sugar cube and 1/2 oz of brandy is plenty. Never add more spirit to a lit spoon.
• Kids and pets out of the way. This is an adult-only ritual.
• Do not drink until the flame is completely out and the spoon has cooled.

Flaming burns off only part of the alcohol, so a cafe royal still contains alcohol. Our article on mixing caffeine and alcohol explains why coffee does not cancel out its effects.

Cafe Royal Variations

Non-flaming cafe royal

Prefer to skip the fire? Soak the sugar cube in brandy on the spoon, then simply lower it into the coffee and stir. Or stir 1/2 oz (15 ml) brandy and 1 teaspoon of sugar directly into the cup. You lose the light caramel note, but keep the warmth.

Spirit swaps

For more spirited after-dinner coffees, browse our holiday coffee cocktails for adults or Italy’s quick caffè corretto.

Alcohol-free cafe royal

1. Rub a strip of orange peel around the rim of the cup and drop it in.
2. Add 2–3 drops of brandy flavor extract or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the hot coffee. Note that most extracts contain a small amount of alcohol; choose an alcohol-free flavoring if you need zero.
3. Stir in a brown sugar cube, or 1 teaspoon of caramel syrup for that toasted note.

It skips the flame entirely and makes a lovely after-dinner cup for everyone at the table. For more ideas, see our coffee mocktail recipes.

Cafe Royal FAQ

Is it café royal or café royale?

Both spellings are used. Older English sources call it “coffee royal,” and “café royale” is a later French-styled version of the name. They describe the same coffee-and-brandy drink.

Does the alcohol burn off when you light it?

Only partly. The short flame burns some alcohol at the surface, but much remains in the brandy that goes into your coffee. Treat it as an alcoholic drink.

What coffee is best for a cafe royal?

A strong, dark roast brewed a little stronger than usual. Brandy and sugar soften coffee’s edges, so a bold base keeps the drink balanced instead of sweet and boozy.

Can I use a regular spoon?

Yes, but a long-handled metal spoon keeps your fingers farther from the flame and makes the whole thing safer. Avoid plastic or wooden spoons.

The Coffee Makes the Royal

With so few ingredients, the coffee carries the drink. Our smoky French Roast is a natural partner for cognac, and the Italian Roast goes even bolder. For an alcohol-free version with spirit-like aroma, try Whiskey Barrel Aged coffee, rested in a bourbon barrel and containing no alcohol. Every Feel Espresso order is roasted 1–5 days before delivery, so your cafe royal starts with fresh, full-bodied coffee.