A Quick Guide to Coffee Cocktails

I’ve never considered coffee simply a morning drink. Coffee is a constant companion and there’s room for it in pretty much any special and non-special moment of our day. On that note, have you tried a coffee cocktail? While not a new invention, coffee martinis are at a popular high at the moment. 

Espresso Martini

This classic drink originated in the late eighties. It was composed by the legendary bartender Dick Bradsell and it was originally called the vodka espresso. The drink became widely popular across bars in the nineties and then all of the sudden it went almost extinct. It was until the pandemic, when perhaps we all started undusting old recipe books and digging new corners of the internet that the espresso martini reappeared and is once again found in the menu of most lounges and bars. 

Recipe:

• 1 shot of espresso
• 25 ml of vodka
• 25 ml of coffee liquor

*optional: sugar and coffee beans to garnish. I personally like Trader Joe’s chocolate covered espresso beans.

Pour all ingredients into a shaker with some ice and serve it in a chilled glass. Enjoy!

Irish Coffee

While the espresso martini is popular at the bar, the Irish Coffee reigns at home. The legend suggests that it was Irish farmers who first came up with this drink as they sought ways to stay warm and relax.

The original recipe consists of drip or pour over coffee, heavy cream, and whiskey. The practical recipe is to simply pour some Irish cream such as Baileys on your warm cup of coffee. It is highly recommendable for both recipes to never use more alcohol than coffee. Coffee must remain the base of your drink. 

Regardless of which mix you use, this drink deserves to be topped with some whipped cream and the chocolate covered espresso beans are also welcomed.

Calypso Coffee

Calypso is the Greek Goddess of the sea. She has an important role in the Odyssey as she offered Homer to stay with her and maintain eternal life, and Homer chose to be free and a mortal. I am unsure of how this story ties Calypso to the drink named after her, but if nothing else, this cocktail is certainly meant to be enjoyed by the sea. It is the well spiked version of an iced latte. 

Recipe:

• 150 ml of strong black coffee (drip or pour over, for a more intense drink you can use a percolator.)
• 25 ml coffee liquor
• 25 ml of dark rum
• Brown sugar to taste
• 25 ml of heavy cream or whipped cream.

What are you in the mood for? The elegant Espresso Martini? The cozy Irish Coffee? Or what about the beachy Calypso Coffee? It is nice to know that for every mood there is a coffee cocktail at our disposal.