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🥤 DRINK

Kafi Fertig (Swiss Schnapps Coffee)

Weak, sweet black coffee in a glass, spiked with Swiss fruit brandy: the country inn and farmhouse warmer of German-speaking Switzerland, also called Kafi Luz.
Swiss · easy · serves 1
prep 3 min · cook 5 min
~127 cal · 0g protein · 10g carbs · 0g fat · 0g fiber · 10g sugars · 0g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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A glass of pale, tea-coloured coffee with sugar cubes and a small bottle of Swiss fruit brandy
AI-generated illustration
Kafi fertig, "coffee done", is how German-speaking Switzerland, above all the centre of the country, likes to finish a meal or warm up on a winter afternoon: a glass of thin, sweet black coffee with a generous shot of Swiss fruit brandy poured into it. In the canton of Lucerne it is called Kafi Luz, short for Lucerne coffee, or Träschkaffee after Träsch, the local brandy of apples and pears. Elsewhere it is made with Pflümli (plum), Zwetschgen or Kirsch, and it is a fixture of mountain huts, village inns and the carnival season.
The coffee is deliberately weak. The Swiss rule is that you should be able to read a newspaper through the glass, and the usual explanation is thrift: stretching coffee with water to make it last longer, then warming it with sugar and home-distilled brandy. Another story, told on Swiss specialty sites, is that farmers hid their schnapps in their coffee when the authorities frowned on distilling and drinking.
The traditional measure is a game: put sugar cubes in the glass, pour in coffee until you can no longer see them, then add schnapps until you can see them again.
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Make it yours

✓ Naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-, dairy-, egg-, nut- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.

Ingredients

Serves 1
  • 2 to 3 (about 10 g) white sugar cubes, or 2 tsp sugar
  • 120 ml hot, weak black filter coffee, brewed with about half the usual coffee
  • 40 ml Swiss fruit brandy (Träsch, Pflümli, Zwetschgen or Kirsch), any dry fruit eau de vie works

Instructions

  • 1
    Brew weak black coffee with about half the ground coffee you would normally use, so it is pale and clear, closer to tea than to espresso.
    ✎ Chef’s note
    The Swiss test: you should be able to read a newspaper through the glass.
  • 2
    Warm a heatproof glass with hot water, tip it out, and drop in the sugar cubes.
  • 3
    Pour in hot coffee until you can no longer see the sugar cubes.
  • 4
    Add the fruit brandy until you can see the sugar cubes again, then stir until the sugar has dissolved and drink it hot.
    ✎ Chef’s note
    That is the traditional measure. For a steadier hand, it comes to roughly three parts coffee to one of schnapps.
Central Swiss farmhouse and mountain inn tradition.

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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination

📍
Bern. The country's language border is nicknamed the Roestigraben, the rosti ditch, running between German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland, which shows how far one potato cake has travelled as a piece of shorthand. The canton of Bern itself sits on both sides of that line.
🗺️
Switzerland. Rosti belongs to the German-speaking side, so firmly that the cultural line between German and French Switzerland is called the Roestigraben, the rosti ditch. Raclette is both a cheese and a meal, the wheel melted at the cut face and scraped onto potatoes with pickled onions and gherkins beside them.
🌍
Europe. European cooking is built on the land and the seasons, wheat, butter, and cured pork in the north; olive oil, tomatoes, and seafood around the Mediterranean; preserved vegetables and hearty stews through long winters. Centuries of peasant tradition, guild craft, and royal courts refined techniques from French mother sauces to Italian fresh pasta and Central European baking. Regional identity runs remarkably deep, with a single dish often changing from one valley to the next.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.

More from Switzerland

RöstiSwitzerland’s golden potato cake, crisp outside, tender inside, flipped whole and served with pride.
Swiss Cheese FondueA communal pot of melted Gruyère and Emmental with white wine and garlic, for dipping bread.
ÄlplermagronenAlpine macaroni baked with potato, cream, and cheese, topped with fried onions and served with applesauce.
Browse all Switzerland recipes →

Good to know

Storing it: Keep chilled and covered, and enjoy within 2 to 3 days.

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Frequently asked questions

What is Kafi Fertig (Swiss Schnapps Coffee)?

Weak, sweet black coffee in a glass, spiked with Swiss fruit brandy: the country inn and farmhouse warmer of German-speaking Switzerland, also called Kafi Luz.

Where does Kafi Fertig (Swiss Schnapps Coffee) come from?

Kafi Fertig (Swiss Schnapps Coffee) is a Swiss dish from Bern, Switzerland.

Can Kafi Fertig (Swiss Schnapps Coffee) be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

This Kafi Fertig (Swiss Schnapps Coffee) recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions. Treat the substitutions as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.

Is Kafi Fertig (Swiss Schnapps Coffee) safe for people with food allergies?

Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we still count coconut as a tree nut to be cautious, although the FDA stopped listing it as one in 2025), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.

How long does Kafi Fertig (Swiss Schnapps Coffee) take to make?

About 8 minutes total (3 minutes prep, 5 minutes cooking), serving 1.

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