Lisbon in August is not a gentle place to be outdoors, and mazagran is the local answer to that problem: strong coffee, lemon, sugar, and ice, served in a tall glass at a cafe table with absolutely nothing else required of you. It tastes like it shouldn’t work, coffee and lemon together, but it does, in the way that only a drink invented by people who’ve been perfecting their coffee culture for two centuries could.
The name comes from a French military outpost in Algeria, of all places, brought back to Portugal by soldiers and adopted so thoroughly that most people ordering one at Cafe A Brasileira have no idea it isn’t originally Portuguese. That’s true of a lot of good things here, borrowed and made local until nobody remembers the borrowing.
Mazagran is the Portuguese iced coffee with lemon, a pitcher drink for the hottest days, best enjoyed outside as if on a Lisbon esplanada.
Mazagran Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup strong brewed coffee, or 4 shots espresso, cooled to room temperature
- 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar, to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Ice
- Lemon slices, for garnish
- Splash of sparkling water (optional)
- 1 ounce white rum per glass (optional)
Instructions
- Brew your coffee strong. While it’s still hot, stir in the sugar until fully dissolved, then let it cool to room temperature, or refrigerate to speed this up.
- Fill a cocktail shaker or jar with ice. Add the cooled coffee, lemon juice, and rum if using. Shake well for about 15 seconds.
- Fill two tall glasses with fresh ice and strain the coffee mixture over.
- Top each glass with a splash of sparkling water if you like a lighter, fizzier drink.
- Garnish with a lemon slice and serve immediately.
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