What are the Best Coffee Cocktails?

Alcohol and coffee: a combination that can definitely get divisive at times. Some revel in the flavours, some will remind you that ‘you’ll pay for mixing alcohol and caffeine’. Let’s forget about the sensible tutters for a second and talk about all the good that can come from a perfectly constructed coffee cocktail.

From an Espresso Martini to a simple Irish coffee, there’s a lot to unpack and enjoy in the world of boozy coffee drinks. Here are our favourites and some recipes to go along with them! 

Espresso Martini

Ingredients
60ml Black Cow Pure Milk Vodka
15ml Kahlúa
30ml freshly brewed, cooled espresso
15ml simple syrup
3 coffee beans for garnish

Method
Add vodka, Kahlúa, espresso and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with 3 coffee beans in the centre of the glass (ideally with tweezers or tongs).

Black Cow Pure Milk Vodka: UK £27.05
Kahlúa: UK £18.75 // US $30.99 

Coffee Old Fashioned

Ingredients
60ml Bulleit Bourbon
15ml St. George Nola Coffee Liqueur
7ml simple syrup
2 dash orange bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters
twist of orange for garnish

Method
Pour the bourbon, coffee liqueur, simple syrup and bitters into a mixing glass. Fill the mixing glass three quarters full with ice. Stir for 30 seconds until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube and garnish with a twist of orange.

Bulleit Bourbon: UK £30.90 // US $37.99 
St. George Nola Coffee Liqueur: UK £35.50 // US $34.99

Irish Coffee

Ingredients
¾ mug hot coffee
45ml The Sexton Single Malt Whiskey
5-10ml maple syrup
whipped cream

Method
Pour the whiskey and 1 teaspoon of maple syrup into a heatproof mug or glass and add a splash of the hot coffee. Stir until the maple syrup has dissolved. Pour the rest of the coffee into the mug and taste. Add more maple syrup if you would like a sweeter coffee. Top with whipped cream and enjoy!

The Sexton Single Malt: UK £28.84 // US $23.99

White Russian

Ingredients
60ml shots vodka
30ml Tia Maria
1 splash heavy cream

Method
Add the vodka and Tia Maria to an ice filled rocks glass. Top with the heavy cream and stir until chilled. Enjoy!

Tia Maria: UK £21.05 // US $43.99 

Spanish Coffee

Ingredients
90ml strong freshly brewed, cooled coffee
60ml Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
15ml Cointreau
15ml aged rum
granulated sugar (for the rim)
lemon wedge
whipped cream
grated chocolate
kitchen torch

Method
Brew the coffee and allow it to cool slightly. Use the lemon wedge to wet a ½ inch of the outer rim of the heatproof glass and dip the rim in granulated sugar. Carefully use a kitchen torch to caramelise the sugar and turn it brown. Add the Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, Cointreau, rum and coffee to the glass and stir once. Add whipped cream and garnish with chocolate shavings.

Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur: UK £29.95 // US $31.99
Cointreau: UK £25.95 // US $60.99

Amaretto Coffee

Ingredients
100ml strong freshly brewed coffee
50ml Lazzaroni Amaretto
whipped cream
maple syrup

Method
Add the amaretto to the freshly brewed coffee in a heatproof mug or glass. Top with whipped cream and garnish with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Lazzaroni Amaretto: UK £22 // US $34.99

Are you a lover of coffee flavoured drinks? If so, make sure you check out The Best Vodka for an Espresso Martini and STRYKK: Not R*M Espresso Martini!

Mad Bean Vanilla Iced Coffee

Iced coffee made well is a fabulous thing, especially as a cocktail with cream liqueur and using the finest ingredients. These drinks are typically found in the best bars and restaurants and, because of the ingredients employed, are very difficult to make at home. They also have to be kept chilled as dairy products don’t do well out of a fridge.

This has changed, however, with the introduction of the Mad Bean Iced Coffees and, in particular, the Mad Bean Vanilla Iced Coffee. Mad Bean wanted to create an iced coffee that can be consumed anywhere at any time. Made from 100% Arabica beans, this naturally occurring caffeinated beverage is a unique twist on the traditional Irish coffee. Mad Bean Hard Coffee provides a great blend of popular coffee flavours with an alcohol kick. It can be drunk hot or cold.

Mad Bean Vanilla Hard Coffee does exactly what it says on the tin. The vanilla flavours are natural and very well-balanced with the coffee, and it has a little kick of alcohol. It can be put over ice but also stands alone. It’s very good straight from the can.

The Mad Bean Vanilla Iced Coffee can also be used as an extra ingredient in cocktails. An espresso martini can be made smoother and sweeter by adding Mad Bean Vanilla Iced Coffee to the glass before the other ingredients, or by pouring it into the shaker.

Espresso Martini with Mad Bean Iced Vanilla Coffee:

Ingredients

3 parts vodka

1 part Kahlua

2 parts espresso (cooled)

2 parts Mad Bean Vanilla Iced Coffee

Place the all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously, strain mixture into a cocktail glass and garnish with a few espresso beans.

From a can in your bag to a sophisticated cocktail, the Mad Bean Vanilla Iced Coffee really is all things to all coffee-loving folk!