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Coffee cocktails

Coffee does something in a cocktail that few other ingredients can: it brings bitterness and body, instantly making a sweet drink feel more grown-up. From the Espresso Martini with its foamy top to the warm Irish Coffee, here are six recipes, plus why you should let coffee cool before it goes into the shaker.

Base: Coffee6 recipesGlass: Coupe
Coffee cocktails in coupe glasses
COFFEE COCKTAILS ✶ ESPRESSO ✶ COUPE GLASSES ✶ SHAKE & SERVE ✶

Cold Brew Negroni
the surprise of the bunch

How many people?
Ingredients
1 person
2.5 clgin
2.5 clCampari
2.5 clred vermouth
2 clcold brew coffee
1 zestorange and one large ice cube
Making coffee cocktails: step by step
1

Place a large ice cube in a tumbler or coupe.

2

Pour the gin, Campari, vermouth, and cold brew over the ice.

3

Stir gently for 20 seconds. This is a stirred cocktail, so don’t shake it.

4

Squeeze an orange zest over the glass; the citrus oil lifts the coffee.

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Coffee in a cocktail: three rules

First: always cool your espresso before it goes into the shaker. Hot coffee melts your ice immediately, making your cocktail watery and causing the foam to collapse. Put it in the fridge for ten minutes or use cold brew. Second: freshly brewed works better than coffee liqueur alone. The oils in fresh espresso create that dense, creamy crema that gives an Espresso Martini its signature layer. Third: choose medium-roast beans. Dark roasts quickly taste burnt and bitter in cocktails, while light-roast coffee, with its acidity, pairs beautifully with citrus.

The right glass

For cold coffee cocktails, it’s all about the foam, which calls for surface area: a coupe or espresso martini glass of 22 to 27 cl gives you a broad, smooth crown instead of a thick lump. The stem also keeps your hand away from the glass, which matters for a cocktail served without ice. Hot coffee cocktails such as Irish Coffee belong in a glass with a handle and thick walls. Always chill the coupes beforehand. With a warm glass, your foam disappears within a minute.

Coffee cocktails in Bormioli Rocco America'20S Champagne Glass / Coupe 22 cl (6 pieces)
Our choice 01

Bormioli Rocco America'20S Champagne Glass / Coupe 22 cl (6 pieces)

€ 35,95per set · fast delivery on working days
Coffee cocktails in Royal Leerdam Experts Collection Champagne Glass / Coupe 27 cl (6 pieces)
Our choice 02

Royal Leerdam Experts Collection Champagne Glass / Coupe 27 cl (6 pieces)

€ 34,95per set · fast delivery on working days
Twelve coupes

Together € 70,90.

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The right tools

For coffee cocktails, besides the glass, you use a Boston shaker, a jigger for precise measuring, a cocktail strainer and a fine-mesh strainer for double straining. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.

Bar Professional Speakeasy Stainless Steel Boston Shaker Set 80 cl

Hard shaking creates a coffee foam

€ 40,95
Bar Professional Speakeasy Bell Jigger Stainless Steel 3/6 cl

Measure every cl precisely

€ 24,95
Bar Professional Speakeasy Black Hawthorne Cocktail Strainer

Spring keeps ice out of the Boston

€ 27,95
Bar Professional Fine-Mesh Copper Cocktail Strainer 8 cm

Double straining keeps the foam tight

€ 13,95
Complete in one click

Glass set (our choice 01) + 4 bar tools together € 94,75.

Everything in the shopping cart →

What do you make these coffee cocktails with?

For these coffee cocktails, you need the right base. Well-known bottles include Licor 43. On each drink page, you can read the alcohol percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it works well in, and which glass you need.

Bottle of Licor 43 70 cl

31% · 4 flavors

Bottle of Licor 43 Crème Brûlée 70 cl

16% · burnt sugar

Bottle of Disaronno Velvet 70 cl

17% · cream

Bottle of De Kuyper Amaretto 50 cl

30% · 50 cl

Bottle of Rémy Martin XO 70 cl

40% · Extra Old

Frequently asked questions

Which glass do you use for coffee cocktails?

A coupe or espresso martini glass of 22 to 27 cl for cold cocktails. View our espresso martini glasses; for hot coffee cocktails, the Irish coffee glasses.

Does the espresso need to be cold?

Yes. Hot coffee melts your ice immediately and ruins the foam. Let it cool for ten minutes or use cold brew from the fridge.

Can you make it without an espresso machine?

Yes: strong moka coffee, a double dose of filter coffee, or cold brew all work. What you need is intensity, not necessarily pressure.

How do you get that dense layer of foam?

From the oils of fresh espresso, plus vigorous shaking with plenty of ice. Coffee liqueur alone produces hardly any foam. That is exactly why an Espresso Martini always needs fresh coffee.

Everything for your bar,
to one address

Glasses in hospitality quality, supplied per set. Order today, delivered quickly.

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