Cola de Mono
Instant coffee, whole cloves and chilean brandy or aguardiente come together in this dish — 60 minutes, 7 steps, and the kind of result worth repeating. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for saucepan and pan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention.
What you'll need
Shopping list (3)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: not verified. We could not confirm aguardiente from the ingredient list, so we make no dietary claim for this recipe.
Contains: Dairy
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- In a saucepan, combine the milk, cinnamon stick and cloves, then heat gently over medium-low heat until steaming but not boiling, and remove from the heat to infuse for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, dissolve the sugar in the water in a small pan over low heat, then let it simmer for a couple of minutes to form a light syrup.
- Stir the instant coffee into the warm syrup until fully dissolved.
- Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves from the milk, then whisk in the coffee syrup, ground nutmeg and vanilla extract.
- Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, then stir in the brandy or aguardiente.
- Transfer to a bottle or jug and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight, for the flavours to develop.
- Shake or stir well and serve cold in small glasses with a light dusting of nutmeg on top.
You'll use: Saucepan · Pan · Whisk · Steamer
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does Cola de Mono take to make?
About 60 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 9 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Cola de Mono suitable for my diet?
We make no dietary claim for this recipe: at least one ingredient could not be resolved to a definite plant or animal source, so labelling it either way would be a guess. The full ingredient list is above.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Cola de Mono is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Cola de mono en Navidad.jpg by B1mbo, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.