September 29 is National Coffee Day, but java-based drinks are popular on cocktail menus all year round. Just look at all the different riffs on the Espresso Martini, Irish Coffee and others. Here are seven cocktail recipes we like that incorporate espresso or cold-brew coffee.
Midnight Hour
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ oz. Vodka
- 1 oz. Drambuie
- 1 shot Espresso
- 2 drops Vanilla
- Cinnamon powder for topping
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and shake well.
- Strain into a Martini glass.
- Garnish with espresso beans and cinnamon powder.
Notes
Chef Michael Reed at Poppy & Seed in Anaheim, CA, created this recipe.
Café Crimson
Ingredients
- 1 ½ oz. Ketel One Vodka
- 1 ½ oz. Black Cherry Kenyan cold brew*
- ½ oz. Unrefined coconut sugar syrup 1:1 ratio sugar to water
- ¼ oz. Raspberry liqueur
- 15 drops Saline solution 1:5 ratio salt to water
- Salted-vanilla oat milk**
Instructions
- Combine first five ingredients in a shaker.
- Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe.
- Carefully layer salted-vanilla oat milk on top.
- Garnish with lemon twist.
Notes
*Pour 500 ml. black cherry juice over 60 g. coarsely ground coffee. Refrigerate overnight before straining.
**Whisk 500 ml. full fat oat milk, ¾ tsp. vanilla extract, and ¼ tsp. salt until creamy.
Mixologist Charles Joly created this recipe.
Martinimisu
Ingredients
- ½ oz. Chocolate liqueur
- ½ oz. Coffee liqueur
- 1 oz. Rumchata
- 1 oz. Espresso
- ¼ oz. Half & half
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients and shake well.
- Strain into a Martini glass.
- Garnish with powdered cinnamon.
Notes
The mixologists at Bacchus Kitchen + Bar in Hotel Vin in Dallas created this recipe.
Pumpkin Espresso Martini
Ingredients
- 2 parts TX Whiskey
- 1 ½ parts Cold-brewed espresso
- ½ parts Condensed milk
- 1 tbsp. Pumpkin pie mix
- Pinch of Nutmeg
Instructions
- Shake all cocktail ingredients.
- Fine strain into a fresh coupe glass.
- Sprinkle with nutmeg.
Notes
TX Whiskey mixologist Jason Shelly created this recipe.
Coco Cafecito
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ oz. Santa Teresa rum; fat washed with toasted coconut*
- ½ oz. Mr Black coffee liqueur
- ¼ oz. Pedro Ximenez sherry
- ¼ oz. Alma Tepec Chile Pasilla Mixe liqueur
- ¼ oz. Orgeat
- 2 oz. New Orleans-style cold brew
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a mixing tin and shake.
- Strain into a lipped Collins glass.
- Garnish with black salt sprinkled over the top.
Notes
*For Toasted coconut fat-washed rum: Fry 8 grams of unsweetened coconut shreds with a tablespoon of coconut oil until lightly brown and fragrant. Pour mixture into a container with 1 bottle of rum. Allow to rest for an hour before placing it in the freezer. The next day, filter out the solidified oil and coconut chips.
The mixologists at Cavaña in San Francisco created this recipe.
Ginger Vanilla Spritz
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Costa Tequila Café
- Dash Pure vanilla extract
- 2 oz. Espresso
- 4 oz. Ginger beer
Instructions
- In a tall glass, add ice, espresso, vanilla and tequila.
- Top with ginger beer.
- Garnish with a slice of fresh ginger or a piece of crystalized ginger.
Notes
Costa Tequila mixologist and ambassador Chef Meredith Ouzounian created this recipe.
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Espresso Martini
Ingredients
- 1 oz. Vegas Baby vodka
- ½ oz. Dark chocolate liqueur
- ¾ oz. Raspberry syrup
- 1 oz. Chilled espresso
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 1 Fresh raspberry
Instructions
- Combine all liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker.
- Shake over ice.
- Strain into a Martini glass.
- Garnish with a fresh raspberry and cinnamon stick.
Notes
The mixologists at Vegas Baby created this recipe.
