Brew 120ml espresso total, equal to 4 standard 30ml shots. Let it stand for 30–60 seconds only if it is extremely hot, but do not let it go stale. The espresso should be fresh, dark, and aromatic. This drink is sweet by design, so the coffee needs enough strength to keep the final balance from becoming flat and overly milky. Given how much sweetness the condensed milk contributes on its own, a genuinely bold, fresh espresso is what keeps that sweetness in check — a weaker shot would let the condensed milk dominate the drink entirely rather than staying in balance with real coffee character.

Divide the sweetened condensed milk evenly between 2 tall glasses, 40g per glass. Leave it undisturbed at the bottom. The condensed milk should sit as a thick white base. That is one of the defining visual cues of a proper iced Spanish latte before stirring. Condensed milk's naturally thick, dense consistency is what allows it to settle and stay put at the bottom of the glass without any special technique required — that inherent density is the entire reason this drink can achieve such a clean, defined base layer.

Fill each glass generously with ice. Pour 120ml cold whole milk into each glass over the ice. Pour slowly so the condensed milk stays mostly at the base rather than mixing in immediately. The glasses should now show a clearly pale body above the thick white condensed milk, with the ice helping keep the layers separated. The milk must be cold and the glasses must already contain ice. Warm milk or no ice makes the condensed milk dissolve too fast and weakens the layered effect. The ice functions here as more than a chilling agent — positioned between the condensed milk base and the milk poured on top of it, it physically slows how quickly the two would otherwise mix, which is part of what preserves the layered structure this drink is built around.

Slowly pour 60ml espresso into each glass over the milk and ice. Pour gently so the espresso forms a darker upper layer and visible swirls through the pale milk without immediately fully mixing into the condensed milk. Before stirring, you should see the layered structure clearly through the glass: condensed milk at the base, ice through the middle, and darker espresso-tinted liquid above. The espresso must go in last. If it goes in earlier, you lose the classic Spanish latte layering. This final pour, done gently rather than forcefully, is what completes the drink's full three-layer presentation — reversing the order at any earlier stage would collapse that structure before it ever had the chance to form.

Serve immediately as layered, then stir before drinking so the condensed milk fully blends into the espresso and milk. Once stirred, the drink should become a smooth pale caramel-beige colour, richer and sweeter than a regular iced latte, but still clearly coffee-based. The layered presentation is genuinely brief once the drink is poured — serving right away and stirring only right before drinking preserves both that visual moment and the fresh, cold quality of every component.