Homemade Cocktail with 43: 8 Recipes for Every Level

The best Licor 43 cocktails for home are the Carajillo 43, Balón 43, Espresso 43, and Split 43. Easy to make, minimal tools needed, and ready in minutes. Below you’ll find the complete shortlist with one-line methods, preparation time, and difficulty level, so you know which recipe suits you best right away.

Quick shortlist:

• Carajillo 43 — a quantity of Licor 43 + espresso over ice, pour. quick / beginner
• Espresso 43 — espresso, Licor 43 and vodka, shake and pour. quick / beginner
• Balón 43 (43 Spritz) — Licor 43 with sparkling water over ice with citrus. quick / beginner
• Split 43 — Licor 43 + whipped cream, shake and double strain. short / beginner
• Puro 43 — Licor 43 neat over ice, orange peel for garnish. very short / beginner
• Tiki 43 / Valencia Summer — Licor 43 + pineapple or orange juice + rum, shake. a few minutes / intermediate
• Sangría 43 — Licor 43 + red or rosé wine + fruit, pitcher, macerate for some time. a few minutes or more / beginner
• Sour 43 — Licor 43 + lemon juice + egg white or aquafaba, shake. a few minutes / intermediate

Licor 43 is made from 43 ingredients, including vanilla and citrus, which makes it exceptionally versatile. Bartenders sometimes use it as a substitute for simple syrup to add extra depth to classic templates.

Table of contents

• What do you need at home for a good cocktail with 43?
• How do you make the Carajillo 43?
• Espresso 43: why shaking with vodka makes all the difference
• Balón 43 and 43 Spritz: two variations for any moment
• Split 43 and Puro 43: creamy dessert cocktails
• Tiki 43 and Valencia Summer: tropical Licor 43 serves
• Sangría 43 for a party: scaled pitcher recipes
• What variations can you build yourself: Sour 43, prosecco and mocktails?
• Common mistakes when mixing with Licor 43
• Key insights
• Why simplicity always wins with Licor 43 recipes
• Cocktailsbynina: ready-to-drink cocktails for those who don't want to mix
• Recommended sources for further reading

What do you need at home for a good cocktail with 43?

The basics are smaller than you think. With five ingredients and three tools, you're already well on your way.

Basic ingredients:

• Licor 43 (the core of every recipe)
• Fresh espresso or strong coffee
• Prosecco or sparkling water
• Citrus: lemon and lime
• Whipped cream or whole milk (for creamy variations)
• Vodka or white rum (for Espresso 43 and Tiki style)

Essential tools: a shaker, a jigger, a fine strainer, a long spoon, and plenty of ice cubes. Ice quality makes more of a difference than most home bartenders expect. Measuring with a jigger is the quickest way to get consistent results, as free pouring almost always leads to an overly sweet or weak cocktail.

Substitution table:

Pro-tip: Chill your glasses for 10 minutes in the freezer and use large, hard ice cubes for long drinks. Small ice cubes melt faster and dilute your cocktail before you're halfway through.

How do you make the Carajillo 43?

The Carajillo 43 is the most requested Licor 43 cocktail, and rightly so: combine 30–50 ml Licor 43 with a shot of espresso; that's all you need. Hot or over ice, both work.

Ingredients (1 person):

• 30–50 ml Licor 43
• a shot of espresso, freshly brewed
• Ice cubes (for the cold variant)
• Glass: small tumbler glass or espresso glass

Preparation:

1. Brew a fresh espresso and let it cool briefly.
2. Fill a tumbler glass with ice cubes.
3. Pour the Licor 43 over the ice.
4. Slowly pour the espresso on top so the layers remain visible.
5. Garnish with a thin slice of lemon or a pinch of cinnamon.

Preparation time: 2 minutes. Difficulty: beginner.

For the hot variant: skip the ice, warm the glass with hot water, pour in the Licor 43 and pour the hot espresso directly on top. Cinnamon works better here than citrus.

Espresso 43: why shaking with vodka makes all the difference

The Espresso 43 is the big brother of the Carajillo. Combine 40 ml hot espresso with a quantity of Licor 43 and 30 ml vodka, shake with ice and pour into a chilled cocktail glass. The vodka gives structure; the Licor 43 provides the vanilla-citrus notes that balance the coffee bitterness.

Shaking with ice with hot espresso does two things at once: it rapidly cools the drink and creates the foamy crema on top of the glass. This crema is no coincidence, but the result of air being whipped into the coffee proteins during shaking.

Pro-tip: Shake hard and long enough. Less than that results in insufficient crema and a lukewarm cocktail.

Preparation time: 3 minutes. Difficulty: beginner.

Balón 43 and 43 Spritz: two variations for any moment

Two recipes, one principle: Licor 43 with bubbles. The Balón 43 is the everyday version; the Spritz is for when you want something more festive.

Variant 1 — Balón 43 (with sparkling water):

1. Fill a large wine glass or balloon glass with plenty of ice.
2. Pour a quantity of Licor 43 over the ice.
3. Add a portion of sparkling water, slowly pouring along the rim.
4. Stir gently once with a long spoon.
5. Garnish with a slice of lemon or lime.

Variant 2 — 43 Spritz (with prosecco):

1. Fill a wine glass with ice.
2. Pour in a quantity of Licor 43.
3. Add a portion of prosecco.
4. Finish with a splash of sparkling water for extra fizz.
5. Garnish with an orange slice and possibly a dash of Angostura bitters for more balance.

The Balón 43 is perfect for a summer aperitif or terrace; the Spritz variant works well for brunch or a festive occasion. Add a few drops of lemon juice if the drink feels too sweet. For more summer cocktail inspiration with sparkling serves, you can also read more on the Cocktailsbynina blog.

Preparation time: 2 minutes. Difficulty: beginner.

Split 43 and Puro 43: creamy dessert cocktails

Two cocktails for those who love a richer, creamier mouthfeel.

Split 43:

• a quantity of Licor 43
• 30 ml liquid whipped cream (or coconut cream as an alternative)
• Ice cubes

Shake all ingredients hard with ice for 10 seconds, double strain into a chilled shot glass or small cocktail glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg or a thin orange peel. Coconut cream gives a slightly tropical character; aquafaba makes the cocktail lighter and vegan, but slightly less full-bodied in taste.

Puro 43:

Pour a quantity of Licor 43 neat over a large ice cube in a low tumbler glass. Rub the rim of the glass with an orange peel and place the peel in the glass as garnish. Ready in one minute.

Pro-tip: Grate the nutmeg fresh over the glass at the last moment. Pre-ground nutmeg quickly loses its aroma and adds little.

Preparation time Split 43: 4 minutes. Puro 43: 1 minute. Difficulty: beginner.

Tiki 43 and Valencia Summer: tropical Licor 43 serves

Licor 43 and tropical fruit are a logical combination: the vanilla in the liqueur seamlessly connects with pineapple and orange. Here, the liqueur acts as a binder between sweet fruit and the slight bitterness of rum.

Tiki 43:

1. Fill a tall glass or tiki mug with crushed ice.
2. Shake a quantity of Licor 43, 30 ml white rum and 60 ml pineapple juice for 10 seconds with ice.
3. Strain over the crushed ice.
4. Garnish with a mint sprig and a slice of dried orange.

Valencia Summer:

1. Shake Licor 43 with fresh orange juice and a dash of lemon juice.
2. Pour over ice in a tall glass.
3. Top up with a splash of sparkling water.
4. Garnish with an orange slice and fresh mint.

The balance rule: if the cocktail feels too sweet, add an extra dash of lemon juice, not less Licor 43. This preserves the volume and structure of the drink. For the right cocktail glasses for tropical serves, Mai Tai glasses are a good choice.

Preparation time: 5 minutes. Difficulty: intermediate.

Sangría 43 for a party: scaled pitcher recipes

Sangría with Licor 43 works surprisingly well. The liqueur replaces the sugar you normally add and simultaneously gives vanilla and herbal depth to the wine.

Basic recipe (1 pitcher, approx. 6 glasses):

• a portion of Licor 43
• a bottle of red or rosé wine
• orange juice
• sparkling water (add just before serving)

Mix everything except the sparkling water in a pitcher. Let macerate in the refrigerator for some time. Only add the sparkling water just before serving, otherwise you'll lose the fizz.

Scaling table:

Store the pitcher chilled for a maximum of 24 hours, without the sparkling water. Alcohol-free variant: replace the wine with sparkling grape juice or kombucha. The fruity character remains, the alcohol taste disappears. More tips on presenting and portioning for parties can be found in Cocktailsbynina's party guide.

What variations can you build yourself: Sour 43, prosecco and mocktails?

Three templates you can endlessly customize.

Sour 43:

Licor 43 replaces whiskey in a classic Sour construction and adds vanilla and herbal complexity without extra syrups. Basic ratio: a quantity of Licor 43, 25 ml lemon juice, 15 ml egg white or aquafaba. First dry shake (without ice) for 10 seconds for foam, then with ice for another 10 seconds. Double strain into a cocktail glass.

43 Spritz with prosecco (ratio suggestions):

1. Light: a quantity of Licor 43 to 120 ml prosecco
2. Balanced: 40 ml Licor 43 to a portion of prosecco
3. Intense: a quantity of Licor 43 to 80 ml prosecco

Mocktail version:

Replace Licor 43 with a homemade syrup of vanilla extract, lemon juice, and sugar water (ratio 1:1:2). Add sparkling water or kombucha for mouthfeel. The result is lighter than the original, but the vanilla-citrus combination remains recognizable. Alcohol-free cocktails from Cocktailsbynina are a good alternative if you don't have time to experiment yourself.

Pro-tip: Always adjust ratios in small steps: half a teaspoon of lemon juice or 5 ml extra liqueur already makes a noticeable difference. Large corrections overwrite the character of the cocktail.

Common mistakes when mixing with Licor 43

The Licor 43 team explicitly advises home bartenders to play with acids: lemon or lime elevates the sweet vanilla notes and prevents a cocktail from feeling too heavy. That is the most overlooked advice when mixing at home.

The four mistakes you want to avoid:

• Skipping measurement. Licor 43 is naturally sweet; without a jigger, you quickly add 10–15 ml too much, which completely distorts the balance.
• Using too small ice. Small cubes melt quickly and dilute the cocktail within two minutes. Use large blocks for long drinks.
• Wrong order when building. First cool the glass with ice, then add the liqueur, and only then the mixers. This prevents immediate dilution.
• Using cold coffee for espresso cocktails. Only fresh, hot espresso creates crema when shaken.

Adjustment steps if something is not right:

• Too sweet: add lemon juice in 5 ml steps.
• Too sour: add 5 ml Licor 43 or a small dash of sugar water.
• Too weak: increase the liqueur by 10 ml and proportionally reduce the mixer.

Pro-tip: Licor 43 also works as a substitute for simple syrup in classic templates. Use it in a Sour or Old Fashioned variant for extra herbal undertones, without having to make a separate syrup.

Key insights

The best Licor 43 cocktails are easy to make if you measure, use good ice, and incorporate acid to balance the sweetness.

Why simplicity always wins with Licor 43 recipes

There's a persistent tendency in the home bar world to make recipes increasingly complex: more ingredients, rarer syrups, more complicated techniques. With Licor 43, this is counterproductive.

The liqueur already has 43 ingredients. That complexity is already there. What distinguishes a good cocktail with 43 from a mediocre one is not an extra ingredient, but the right balance between sweet and sour, and the quality of the ice. A Carajillo 43 with fresh espresso and one large ice cube beats any over-complicated variant with five extra additions.

What I also see: people who are mixing for the first time skip measuring because it seems cumbersome. That's precisely the step that makes the difference between a cocktail that works and one that turns out too sweet or too weak. A jigger costs a few euros and pays for itself with the first recipe.

Feel free to vary once you master the basic recipes. But start simple. The Balón 43 and the Carajillo 43 are not popular because they are easy, but because they simply taste good with the right proportions.

Cocktailsbynina: ready-made cocktails for those who don't want to mix

Mixing yourself is fun, but not always practical. For a party of twelve people, you don't want to spend an hour behind the shaker. Cocktailsbynina offers bar-quality cocktails and mocktails that you serve directly, without preparation or tools.

The cocktail box with 4 pieces is a good entry-level option for small occasions; the box with 6 pieces suits a larger group. Those who prefer non-alcoholic options will find a full range of ready-made mocktails with the same level of finish at Cocktailsbynina. The products are delivered in the Netherlands and Belgium and are also suitable as a gift or sample package.

View the full range on cocktailsbynina.com and order directly for your next occasion.

Recommended resources for further study

Primary sources:

• Licor 43 recipe page (Netherlands) — complete recipe library with filtering by difficulty level
• Sour 43 recipe — official recipe and technical advice for the Sour variant
• Spritz 43 recipe — official recipe for the sparkling variant

Internal blogs from Cocktailsbynina:

• Licor 43 cocktails: recipes for home and parties — additional recipes and variations
• Cocktail terms and measurements — explanation of techniques and terminology for beginners

Partner:

• Espresso Martini Cocktail at Lando’s — inspiration for espresso cocktail variations and balance advice

Recommendation

• Cocktail recipes at home: balance, tools, and technique – Cocktails by Nina
• Enjoy cocktails without a recipe: how to do it – Cocktails by Nina
• Creating a drink experience: guide for home parties – Cocktails by Nina
• Bar-quality drink tips for home and parties – Cocktails by Nina