The coffee cocktail is on the rise. 2024 is going to be the year that people venture beyond the espresso martini and start to enjoy all the caffeinated cocktails in the coffee realm. We’re entering our fancy Four Loko cocktail era, baby!
So besides the espresso martini, which coffee cocktails should you master? We have answers … and recipes! And caffeine!
Below, we’re calling out five essential coffee cocktails that you can easily make at home — or enjoy when you go out to your favorite cocktail bar. Each cocktail contains coffee in some form — either freshly pulled espresso or coffee liqueur or both — and packs a mighty wallop of booze, caffeine, and creaminess. Let’s dive in!
You can use any base spirit you want here. Vodka will give you a cleaner “espresso” vibe while whiskey, rum, or brandy will add nutty, spicy, and vanilla notes that just work with creamy espresso.
As for the coffee liqueur, Kahlua will be your best bet. Sure, you can find some bespoke local distillery craft versions if you like. I like to use St. George’s Coffee Liqueur. That’s partially simply because it’s open on my shelf.
The last element is the espresso. I have an espresso machine on my counter. So I’m using that with a strong “creme” espresso bean from Italy. You can use a thicker cold brew or cold espresso but you won’t get quite the same textural experience. Drip coffee isn’t going to cut it as it’ll be too thin and can’t deliver the depth you need for this cocktail.
While workarounds are viable, to get that “craft cocktail bar” vibe to this cocktail, you need to pull a fresh shot of espresso. The creaminess on the top of that shot is a crucial textural element to this drink. Take a look at the espresso shot in the image below. Ideally, that’s what you want to start with.
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This is probably the most familiar drink on the list given that the espresso martini has exploded in popularity (again) over the past couple of years. And while this cocktail feels fussy, it’s really not that hard to make. It’s also a delicious pick-me-up with a good creaminess, soft nuttiness, and deeply bitter espresso bite.
The key ingredient is Irish whiskey. I’m going a little deeper and using a good Irish-American whiskey, Four Walls. That mixing whiskey uses a nice dose of American rye whiskey, adding a drier and spicier depth than your average honeyed Irish tipple. It truly works wonders with the coffee and cream.
The rest is pretty easy. If you don’t have an espresso machine, you can grab a double shot from Starbucks and bring it home. Or you can use regular coffee from your machine. You won’t have the same consistency (pure velvet), but you will have a nice drink.
Lastly, I like to use a milk frother for the cream. It gives it the right light airiness without making the cream too dense. You want to be able to easily sip through the cream without it blocking the boozy coffee beneath it (tamp the cup full of frothed milk on the counter a few times to make it more dense). That said, you can use a whipped cream canister in a pinch.
But a Milk Frother is like $6 on Amazon — so it’s a worthwhile investment anyway.
Quick note:
Sometimes recipes will call for a half-ounce of simple syrup as a sweetener. I tend to lean away from that as the whiskey is sweet enough. That said, if you really need sweeteners in your coffee, then add a little bar syrup. In the same vein, you can also add flavored sweeteners like hazelnut, cinnamon, cherry, almond, vanilla, or whatever syrup to take the drink in those directions. Just make sure to keep it under a half-ounce.
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This is another classic, dating back centuries this time. This is just a really fun and easy warm cocktail to make on a cold winter day. It’s nutty, bitter, creamy, and just the right amount of sweet.
And as with the espresso martini above, you can also use any spirit as the base here. If you want to make a Spanish Coffee, use brandy. Caribbean Coffee, use rum. Russian Coffee, use vodka. You get it. Moving on!
Makes 2 six-ounce drinks
A lot of recipes call for brandy as the base booze, which is very NOLA. I like to split the difference with half brandy and half Irish whiskey as the base. I’m using standard stuff. Remy Martin VSOP and Jameson Black Barrel (their premiere mixing whiskey).
Kahlua is the obvious coffee liqueur to use. I have a bottle of St. George’s NOLA Coffee Liqueur that is open at the moment so I used that. Also, the New Orleans connection was too on point to not use that bottle.
The rest is pretty straightforward. I used the last of some Tillamook Vanilla Bean Ice Cream from the grocery store and a two-ounce single espresso pull from my espresso machine.
I also had some coffee grounds left from some Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chickory blend so I used that as garnish. You can 100% use whatever coffee grounds you have on hand.
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This is the actual fussiest cocktail to make on the list. But even then, it’s just a creamy smoothie at the end of the day. So if you can make a smoothie, you can make this.
As for the taste, it’s delightful. Again, this is a boozy coffee milkshake smoothie. There’s really not much to dislike here unless you’re completely averse to the flavor of coffee and ice cream.
I’m using Weller Antique 107, which is devised as a great cocktail bourbon (yes, I know it’s allocated and hard to find for MSRP outside of certain markets). The higher proof adds a nice bite to the cocktail with a sense of dried woody chili peppers and deep roasted cacao emerging through the mix. If you don’t have Weller Antique 107 on hand, I’d suggest Wild Turkey Rare Breed or Michter’s Small Batch Bourbon instead. The key is to use a very good quality bourbon.
The rest is all easily found at any good liquor store.
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This is arguably the most “acquired taste” cocktail on the list. The coffee bitterness is really amped up by the chocolate and orange bitters, creating a “super ” coffee vibe to the boozy drink. The bourbon adds a nice sweetness with a hint of winter spice to balance things out. Overall, this is a strong coffee cocktail that’ll open your eyes and get you ready for a long night.
You need some serious cream for this recipe. You can use half and half if you like. It’s fine. But it’s really not going to give it the punch — or mouthfeel — that you want. The coffee liqueur and cream really shine together and help to smooth out the whole drink.
As for the vodka, always use good vodka in cocktails even when you’re making a cocktail that has bold flavors like this (where the vodka basically disappears).
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This is the easiest-drinking coffee cocktail on the list. It’s creamy, only slightly boozy, and full of creamed coffee goodness. It’s also the easiest to make by far. You just pour everything over ice in a glass and stir it. Done. It does make a bit of a mess of the glass, but who cares with a cocktail this easy?
In the end, this is a delicious dessert cocktail. And, it’s a classic for a reason. It goes down so easily and you do feel the slight kick from the coffee liqueur. If you’re looking for the easiest and most delectable coffee cocktail, this is the one.
