Boozy Coffee Cocktails for Summertime

True coffee lovers are open to a variety of ways of getting their caffeine fix, including the occasional boozy coffee cocktail. When the weather is warm, a cold and refreshing coffee drink on the rocks is a delicious and adventurous way to drink your brew. No longer are people drinking the standard White or Black Russians, today’s coffee cocktails are elevated, creative, and boozier than ever.

Since many of us are staying home this summer out of necessity, we’re offering a few coffee cocktail recipes below that we encourage you to try your hand at mixing and (safely) imbibing with friends and neighbors. When deciding on the right cocktail to make, take into consideration the notes of the coffee you use. A roast with a fruity profile such as our Honduran coffee from Javier Fernandez’s farm would pair beautifully with a Café Corrección Ponche. For the Paradise Found cocktail, we recommend the Ines Carrasco Carhuapoma Peruvian.

Here are some boozy coffee cocktails for the budding mixologist.

Kirsch au Café

Contributed by St. John Frizell

This sophisticated cocktail hails from a Brooklyn café-bar that takes coffee and cocktails very seriously.

Ingredients:

• 1 oz Cognac
• .75 oz Kirsch
• .75 oz Cherry Heering
• .5 oz Simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water)
• .5 to 1 oz Egg white
• 1 shot (about 1 oz) Freshly brewed espresso
• Glass: Small cocktail (two)

Preparation:

Add all the ingredients except the espresso to a shaker and shake (without ice) until frothy. Fill the shaker with ice and add the espresso. Shake well and strain into two small cocktail glasses.

Café Corrección Ponche

Contributed by Eric Alperin

A balance of citrus, spice, rum, and the perfect coffee makes this boozy summertime cocktail sophisticated and highly drinkable. 

Ingredients:

• 1.5 tsp Demerara sugar
• 2 strips Orange peel
• 12 oz Diplomático Añejo Rum
• 4 oz Punt e Mes
• 8 oz Cold-brew coffee*
• 4 oz Simple syrup (one part sugar, one part water)
• 4 oz Fresh orange juice
• Ground cinnamon
• Garnish: Cinnamon sticks
• Glass: Teacup

Preparation:

In a large bowl or pitcher, muddle the sugar and orange peel. Let stand for an hour or so to extract the oils. Add the remaining ingredients and a little cracked ice. Stir and strain into a punch bowl filled with a large ice block. Top with a sprinkling of ground cinnamon. Serve in teacups, garnished with cinnamon sticks cracked in half the long way.

Creamy Boozy Iced Coffee

This concoction is a great brunch accompaniment, sitting on the deck in the sunshine drink, or watching the sunset over the ocean dessert.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Strong cold-brewed coffee
• 4-6 Ice cubes
• 1 oz Frangelico
• 1 oz Half and half (or cream or your favorite milk)
• Sugar or other sweetener
• Whipped cream
• Chocolate syrup
• Chocolate bar for shavings

Preparation:

Add ice to a glass and pour the cold coffee over it. Pour in the Frangelico first, then the cream, and stir it up. Lastly, add the sweetener of your choice, to taste. Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and chocolate shavings.

Paradise Found

Picture this: Palm trees, sand between your toes, the sound of waves, and an ice-cold cocktail in your hand. Drink this, and it’s almost like being there. 

Ingredients:

• 6 oz Iced coffee
• 1 oz Spiced rum
• 1 oz Butterscotch schnapps
• Cream
• Sugar

Preparation:

To make this cold cocktail, add the rum and butterscotch schnapps to the iced coffee. Mix in a little cream and sugar to taste. Stir everything together in a tall glass with ice, then put your bathing suit on and hit the river.

Shoeless Joe

Imagine the classic cherry cola, but spiked!

Ingredients:

• 4 oz Cold brew coffee, strong
• 4 oz Black cherry simple syrup (see recipe below)
• A single, 12 oz. Can of cola (your choice of brand)
• 1 12 oz. Can of club soda
• 4 lime wedges (garnish, for serving)

Black Cherry Simple Syrup

• 1/3 cup of Sugar
• 2/3 cup 100% Black cherry juice, unsweetened

Black Cherry Simple Syrup Preparation

1. Take the unsweetened black cherry juice and put it in a small saucepan. Next, bring the juice to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat and set the pan to simmer until it is reduced to around half, which could take about 5 minutes.
3. Add sugar and cook. Stir the sugar in until it has dissolved into the mixture. This may take around 3 minutes.
4. Let it sit and cool completely.
5. Transfer the mixture to a jar, then cover and chill it. You can make this syrup up to a week in advance.

Preparation:

To make each drink, mix 1 oz of the black cherry simple syrup that you made and put 1 oz of cold brew coffee into a rocks glass. Add ice to fill up the glass. Add in 3 oz of cola and another 3 oz. of club soda. Finish off by garnishing with lime wedges. This refreshing take on coffee will be a surprise for you and your friends.

Lastly, if you or someone you’re entertaining doesn’t drink the hard stuff, here’s the perfect substitute.

Cold Brew Sour

A take on the whiskey sour, this drink is crisp and refreshing as well as bright and tart. The tart/sour taste is pleasantly balanced by the sweetness of the coffee, creating a beverage that many will enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz Cold brew coffee concentrate
• Juice from half a lemon
• 1 oz Simple syrup
• 1 Lemon wedge

Preparation:

Add all of the ingredients to a rocks glass full of ice: stir it up and enjoy!

Cheers!

Whether you’re a traditionalist or someone familiar with coffee cocktails, we feel sure there’s something new for you to taste. It’s summer, and the time is right to branch out, mix yourself something special, and watch the world go by for a little while. Drink in good health and with great coffee!