My college boyfriend (yes, the one who didn’t like curry) was a big fan of something I called The Stimulant/Depressant Game: shots with a coffee chaser. Think of it as a universally accessible Four Loko (which, in 2010, contained 156 mg of caffeine and 12 percent alcohol — four beers and a cup of coffee) or a Vodka Red Bull for people who aren’t down with energy drinks. Although he was partially motivated by a love of both whiskey and coffee, he was also down to stay alert and drink longer, even if the whole thing functioned like roulette (that depressant effect is gonna show up at some point). We at Uproxx can get behind drinking coffee cocktails for the rich flavor, but we aren’t trying to get you Alia’s-college-boyfriend-wasted. Seriously, this is a person who met me at 8 pm and apologized for being a little incoherent because he had been drinking since 9 am. We forgot an entire Valentine’s Day because of Potter’s Tequila. No bueno.
Instead of following that far-too-inebriated example, we want you to imbibe layered, complex cocktails that celebrate the delicious flavors of coffee and spirits. With this aim, we asked some truly outstanding cocktail craftspeople to share recipes that highlight the best of coffee. That means coffee bitters, cold brew, espresso, coffee-infused liquors, and more. The recipes range from quite accessible to a bit complicated, ensuring you will find something that matches your style, ability, and tastes. We know some of you are down to craft your own housemade bitters. Others will want a cocktail that involves throwing a few things over some ice (no muddling, thank you very much) and there are some of those, too. You will note more than one espresso martini; one is sweeter than the other for you sugar hounds. Speaking of which, one of these is garnished with a doughnut. Reading the recipes is worth it just for that.
Look through the recipes, check out pics of dope cocktails, and draw up a shopping list. Drink responsibly, though. Otherwise, you end up dating someone like me, and I am extra.
Black Tuesday
Robert and Ying Adamson, The Blind Rabbit (Anaheim, CA)
Ingredients:
1.5 oz Bourbon
0.75 oz Cynar
0.75 oz Aperol
0.25 oz Fernet-Branca
0.5 oz Coffee Liquor
2 dashes Aztec Chocolate Bitters
Cold Draft
Method:
Build all ingredients into a yari, add cold draft, stir, strain, add slow ice.
Coffee & Cigarettes
Janise Trans, Hatch (Tustin, CA)
Ingredients:
2oz Portola Coffee-Infused El Silencio Mezcal
1oz Cinnamon-Infused simple syrup
Sheep Dip Whiskey
Cinnamon Stick
1oz Cream
Method:
Place mezcal and simple syrup in a yari pitcher. Add ice and stir until chilled. Rinse a highball glass with the whiskey and let it settle. Strain the simple syrup/mezcal mixture into the glass. Add ice. Ignite the cinnamon stick until it begins smoking. As the cinnamon stick is still lit, add 1oz cream. Use the smoking cinnamon stick to stir the cocktail; this chemical reaction will keep the cream from curdling.
Coppola, 레 미 제 라 블 (Les Miserables) Pt1, and Serendipity
Kevin Lee, Puzzle (La Miranda, CA)
Coppola
Ingredients:
2.5oz Laphroaig cask whiskey
0.5oz coffee
Barspoon house-made salted caramel dry vermouth
0.25oz Muscovado
3 dashes house-made aromatic bitters
1 dashes house-made chocolate honeybush bitters
1 dashes house-made chocolate chai bitters
Method:
Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir until very cold and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a flaming orange twist.
레 미 제 라 블 (Les Miserables) Pt1
Ingredients:
0.75oz coffee
0.75oz House-Made Crème de Cacao
0.25oz Rosemary Syrup
0.75oz Cream
2oz Mint Syrup
2oz Cognac
2 Dashes House-Made Hibiscus Rose Bitters
2 Dashes House-Made Kiwi Pineapple Bitters
2 Dashes House-Made Aromatic
Dill Powder
Coffee Beans
Method:
Chill a martini glass or a tall coupe glass. Add the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake the cocktail, and strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with dill powder on one side and grate coffee beans on the other.
Serendipity
Recipe:
2oz Atlantico Rum
1.5oz Cold Brew Coffee
0.75oz Rosemary Syrup
0.75oz Milk
12 Mint Sprigs
2 Dashes House-Made Vanilla Bitters
2 Dashes House-Made Toasted Almond Bitters
Method:
In a mason jar or glass, add the rosemary syrup and lightly muddle some of the mint. Add the remaining ingredients, and fill with ice. Garnish with mint sprigs.
Espresso Martini
Thierry Carrier, Avenue (Long Branch, NJ)
Ingredients:
1.5oz Avion Cafe
1oz Kahlua
1oz Afficianado Espresso
Method:
Combine all ingredients and pour into a martini glass.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRqlp-bA7YW/?taken-by=leclubavenue
Coco Covfefe Boozy Snow Cone, The Perky Peach, and Dunk This Doughnut
Morgan Zuch, Datz (Tampa, FL)
Coco Covfefe Boozy Snow Cone
Ingredients:
1.5oz Papas Pilar Dark Rum
0.25oz Cynar Liqueur
1oz Cold Brew Coffee
0.5oz Banana Syrup
2 dashes Black Walnut Bitters
1oz Coconut Cream
Coffee beans, for garnish
Orchid, for garnish
Method:
Combine all ingredients except coconut cream and pour over crushed ice. Spoon coconut cream on top. Garnish with coffee beans and an orchid.
The Perky Peach
Ingredients:
1.5oz Silver Tequila
0.5oz Peach Liqueur
0.5oz Coffee Honey Syrup
2oz Cold Brew Coffee
2 dashes Orange Bitters
Large Cold Brew Ice Sphere
Vanilla Infused Salt
Dried Peach Slice
Method:
For coffee honey syrup:
Combine equal parts honey and hot coffee together and stir. Allow to cool before serving.
For cold brew ice sphere:
Pour cold brew into large ice sphere mold. Allow to freeze and serve.
Combine ingredients in a shaker tin. Shake and strain into a rocks glass. Rim half of glass with vanilla infused salt. Garnish with a dried peach slice.
Dunk This Doughnut
Ingredients:
1oz Rittenhouse Rye
1oz Grind Coffee Liqueur
3 dashes Black Walnut Bitters
2.5oz Cold Brew
Powdered doughnut, for garnish
Method:
Stir all ingredients together in a mixing glass for at least 15 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a powdered doughnut.
Cold Brew Negroni
Jason Stevens, Boiler Nine Bar + Grill (Austin, TX)
Ingredients:
1.25oz Chameleon Cold Brew
0.75oz Campari
0.25oz Gran Classico
1oz Cocchi di Tornino vermouth
Orange peel, garnish
Method:
Fill a mixing glass with Chameleon Cold Brew, Campari, Gran Classico and Cocchi di Tornino vermouth. Add cube ice. Stir for 10-15 seconds. Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with cubed ice. Garnish with an expressed orange peel.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWf5LRMAx4I/
AM Manhattan
Andrew Mangan, Snooze, An A.M. Eatery (Locations in CO, CA, AZ, and TX)
Hot
Ingredients:
1.5oz Bourbon
0.5oz Irish Cream Liqueur
2oz Espresso
7oz Steamed Whole Milk
Method:
Using a jigger, pour the bourbon and Irish Cream liqueur into a latte mug. Pull espresso shots while steaming milk to 140º. Add milk to booze in latte mug. Garnish with a cherry.
Cold Modification
Ingredients:
1.5oz Bourbon
0.5oz Irish Cream Liqueur
2oz Espresso
3oz Milk, Preferably Half and Half
Method:
Using a jigger, pour the bourbon and Irish cream liqueur into a 14oz glass. Pull espresso shots and pour in glass. Add milk or half and half.
Por La Manana en Jalisco
Anthony Barcza, Rx Boiler Room (Las Vegas, NV)
Ingredients:
2oz El Jimador Reposado
.75oz Cold Brew
.25oz St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
.25oz Demerara Syrup
Method:
Build, stir, strain over fresh ice into an old-fashioned glass.
Sicilian Café
M’lissa Muckerman, Jane Q (Los Angeles, CA)
Ingredients:
2oz Averno Amaro
2oz Chilled Espresso
Fever Tree Mediterranean Tonic (or your favorite)
Lemon Zest
Method:
Combine Averna Amaro and espresso and stir. Pour over ice in a lowball or rocks glass. Top off glass with tonic and garnish with lemon zest.
Bourbon Manhattan
Heather Perry, Klatch Coffee (Locations in Southern CA)
Ingredients:
2oz Klatch Infused Bourbon
2 Cups Bourbon of choice
0.5 Cup Klatch Orange Bourbon Espresso Whole Bean
0.5oz Sweet Vermouth
0.5oz Amaretto
3-4 Dashes Bitters
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a martini shaker or tall glass, and fill with ice. Stir well to chill and strain into martini glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVnSk1alh-K/
White Russian
Dave Castillo, Truss & Twine (Palm Springs, CA)
Ingredients:
1.5oz St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur
1oz Vietnamese Coffee Infused Gin
1.5oz Heavy Cream
.5oz Cane Syrup
Method:
For Vietnamese coffee gin: in a large container, place 1-liter London dry gin and 2 ounces ground Vietnamese coffee. Let sit for 20 minutes then strain, bottle, and use.
Combine all ingredients in a shaking tin, shake, double strain into a double old-fashioned glass filled with ice. Garnish with a coffee bean grated over the top.
Espresso Martini
Dev Johnson, Employees Only (New York, NY)
Ingredients:
2 parts Reyka Vodka
1 parts Espresso
¾ parts 1:1 Simple Syrup
Method:
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe glass.
La Tierra de Viejitas
Houston Eaves, Downstairs
Ingredients:
1.5oz Lustau Brandy de Jerez Solera Gran Reserva
0.75oz Café du Monde Chicory Cold Brew
0.5oz Cardamaro
1oz Rainwater Madeira-Coconut Cream
Method:
Add madeira-coconut cream to bottom of chilled tulip-shaped beer glass, add crushed ice to fill glass, combine other ingredients in mixing tin, and then pour on top of cream and crushed ice. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.
