Central Switzerland has a soft spot for coffee with a kick. Kafi fertig, finished coffee, is coffee with a shot of fruit brandy, and the Lucerne version, Kafi Luz, takes it furthest: a pale, weak coffee sweetened with sugar cubes and laced with brandy, served in a stemmed glass with a handle. Local lore holds that a proper Kafi Luz is so weak you can read through it, or see a coin placed in the bottom of the glass.

It is the drink of the Lucerne carnival in February, of farmers' tables after a long day, and of mountain restaurants after a cold afternoon outdoors. The fruit brandy is usually Träsch, made from apples and pears, or Kirsch from cherries. Think of it as a hot toddy that grew up in a dairy barn: small, sweet and remarkably effective against weather.

The Kafi Luz

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) freshly boiled water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground coffee
• 4 sugar cubes
• 2 oz (60 ml) Träsch or other fruit brandy

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