International Coffee Day (October 1) is here and with over 2 billion cups being consumed daily, it is a beverage worthy of a celebration. For Spirit.Ed, we’re sharing a couple of dozen cocktails that should cover all one’s caffeinated (or decaffeinated) bases.
International Coffee Day was first established on October 3, 2015, by the International Coffee Organization (ICO) although research points to the root of the annual celebration dating back to the 1980s and also 1990s. This is a different celebration from National Coffee Day (September 29), which is celebrated in the United States and reportedly other select countries.
International Coffee Day is an extension of the ICO’s wider efforts to show support for the coffee-growing industry and improve the lives of workers in the space by providing stronger wages and labor fairness among other points of focus. The member states of the ICO, which included the United Kingdom, Mexico, Singapore, New Zealand, Japan, and other countries, all agreed that October 1 is the proper date.
As a longtime coffee drinker, I have paired adult beverages alongside my beans but I’m always looking for new ones to enjoy the potent combination. I especially enjoy these types of drinks after a hearty meal, and as the temps cool in my part of the world, warm drinks with a boozy boost have a certain appeal.
In this roundup, you’ll see some cocktails we’ve featured before along with some new offerings. Stay tuned for a wider fall cocktail roundup and other collections of cocktails, beer, wine, and more as the year rolls on.
For now, have a fantastic International Coffee Day no matter how you’ll enjoy your brew today.
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Photo: Getty
1. Caffe Italia
Source:Italicus
Presented at Tales of the Cocktail, recipe by Lorenzo Antinori
Ingredients:
35ml ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto
25ml Fresh Cold Brew Coffee
0.2ml Cardamom Bitters
Garnish with fresh mint
2. Carajillo Tequiero
Source:Bribón
2 oz Bribón Tequila Añejo
2 oz Espresso
2 oz Simple syrup
Method: Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled port wine glass. Garnish with 3 espresso beans and enjoy!
3. CAZADORES Café y Café Bustelo Espresso Martini
Source:Cazadores
Ingredients:
2 oz Tequila Cazadores Café
2 oz Café Bustelo Instant Espresso (prepared and chilled)
Ice
3 coffee beans for garnish
Instructions:
Prepare Café Bustelo Instant Espresso: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of Café Bustelo Instant Espresso in 6 oz of hot water. Allow it to cool and then chill. Fill a shaker with ice. Add Tequila Cazadores Cafe and chilled Café Bustelo Instant Espresso. Shake well until chilled. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with 3 coffee beans.
4. Clonakilty Irish Coffee
Source:Clonakilty
1.5 oz Clonakilty Double Oak Whiskey
1 tsp of Muscovado Brown Sugar
5 oz Fresh Brewed Coffee
Top w Heavy Cream*
Method: Fill Glass with Hot Water to warm glass; empty water when warm. Add Clonakilty Double Oak Whiskey. Add a spoonful of Muscovado Brown Sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add Fresh, Brewed Coffee. Pour Fresh Cream over bar spoon to float. Sprinkle with Cocoa Powder if desired.
Additional Notes: *Fill Clonakilty Shaker with cold Heavy Cream, add a pinch of Sea Salt. Shake thoroughly for 2 mins at beginning of day. Will aerate cream to layer on top of coffee. Store in ice or cold fridge. Give quick shake prior to each drink.
5. Coffee Margarita by Kilinga
Source:Kilinga
Ingredients:
2 Oz KILINGA BACANORA REPOSADO
2/3 Oz COFFEE LIQUEUR
2/3 Oz FRESH LIME JUICE
Method:
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and fill with ice. Shake hard and strain into a rocks glass then fill with ice. Garnish with a twist of orange and enjoy!
6. Coffee Old Fashioned
Source:Four Roses
Ingredients:
2 oz. Four Roses Small Batch
½ oz Simple Syrup
2-3 Dashes Coffee Bitters
2 Dashes Orange Bitters
Garnish Chocolate Shavings and Espresso Beans
Method:
Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass. Stir for thirty seconds or until the cocktail is properly diluted and well chilled. Strain over ice into glass. Garnish.
7. Crystal Clear Espresso Martini
Source:Milagro
Ingredients:
2 parts Milagro Cristalino
.75 Part premium triple sec
.25 Part vanilla-coffee bean syrup*
*Add simple syrup, one vanilla bean and a handful of coffee beans to a pan on low heat, gently simmer, Stir occasionally and remove from heat source. Cool in refrigerator for 30 mins to an hour, before filtering beans from liquid. Syrup will last up to 30 days if refrigerated.
Coffee beans to garnish
Method: Combine all ingredients into a mixing glass with ice and stir. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with coffee beans.
8. Cutwater Espresso Martini
Source:Cutwater
Cutwater is a leader in the canned cocktail space and their Espresso Marini is the genuine article with the company’s premium vodka that gets paired with coffee cream liqueur and cold brew coffee flavor.
Learn more here.
9. Drambuie Coffee Paloma
Source:Drambuie
Created by Drambuie Ambassador Freddy May
Ingredients:
1 part Drambuie
1 part Tequila
1 part Coffee
1 part Grapefruit juice
Method: Pour all the ingredients over ice in a rocks glass or slim highball and stir. Garnish with a grapefruit twist.
10. Espresso Martini by Diplomatico
Source:Diplomatico
Ingredients:
1.5 Parts Diplomatico Planas
1 Part Freshly brewed Espresso
0.5 Part Coffee Liqueur
0.5 Part Sugar Syrup
Coffee beans
Instructions:
Add all ingredients to a shaker, fill with ice, shake vigorously and strain into Coupe or Martini glass. Garnish with coffee beans.
11. Espresso Martini by Kilinga
Source:Kilinga
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Kilinga Bacanora Silvestre
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1 oz Espresso
1/4 oz Sugar Syrup
2 Orange Slices
How To Make It:
1. Add two orange slices to a shaker. Add all other ingredients to the shaker with the orange slices. Dust with a little cinnamon and add a twist of orange. Serve.
12. Espresso Tonic (Boozy)
Source:Galliano Espresso
Directions:
1 oz Galliano Espresso
1 oz Espresso
2 oz Tonic
Just 3 ingredients. Build ingredients into an ice-filled glass; start with a premium tonic. Garnish with lemon zest or wheel.
13. Flat White (Boozy) by Broken Shed Vodka
Source:Broken Shed Vodka
1 oz coffee liqueur
1 oz half-and-half
Garnish: 3 coffee bean
Vanilla-Infused Vodka*
Add the vanilla bean to a glass container. Cover with Broken Shed Vodka and let sit at room temperature for 3 days, shaking occasionally. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve and store in the refrigerator.
Directions:
Stir vanilla-infused Broken Shed Vodka and coffee liqueur over ice, then strain into a chilled glass. Layer the half-and-half on top, and garnish with the coffee beans.
14. Hazelnut Espresso Martini
Source:Frangelico
0.5 Part Frangelico
1.5 Parts SKYY Vodka
1.5 Part Cold Brew Concentrate or Espresso
0.25 Part Simple Syrup (1:1)
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a shaker tin with fresh ice, shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into chilled coupe or martini glass & garnish with (3) whole coffee beans.
15. Horseshoe Carajillo
Source:Herradura
Ingredients:
1 oz Herradura Reposado
1 oz Licor 43
1.5 oz Fresh Espresso
0.5 oz Vanilla Syrup
1 dash Orange Bitters
Method: Shake all ingredients over ice. Fine strain into glass. Garnish with Dehydrated Orange slice and Ground Nutmeg or Cinnamon to dust one half of the drink.
16. Humble Baron’s Dear Fawn
Source:Humble Baron
1.5 oz Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey
1 oz cold brew concentrate
0.75 oz Mr Black Coffee Liqueur
0.25 oz demerara syrup
Method:
Shake and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with three coffee beans.
17. Irish Whiskey: Coffee Cocktail (Glendalough Irish Coffee)
Source:Glendalough
Ingredients:
2 oz. of Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey
2 Teaspoons of Demerara Sugar
4 oz. of Freshly Brewed Coffee
Topped (slowly) with Heavy Cream
Garnish: Coffee Beans
Directions: Pour freshly brewed coffee into an Irish coffee cup. Add the Demerara sugar and whiskey. Stir all ingredients and top with heavy cream. Garnish with coffee beans.
18. Kōloa Rum Pineapple Coffee Fizz
Source:Kōloa
2 oz Kōloa Coffee Rum
.5 oz Honey Syrup (equal parts honey and distilled water)
2 oz Pineapple Juice
.5 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
.5 oz Aquafaba
1.5 oz Splash Club Soda
Method: Dry shake Aquafaba in shaker. Combine Kōloa Coffee Rum, honey syrup, pineapple juice and lemon juice in shaker. Shake and strain into glass with ice.
Note: Starting with a dry shake helps the aquafaba begin foaming and aerating before getting diluted by the ice. Following the dry shake, adding the ice strengthens the foam and chills the cocktail.
19. Krakaccino
Source:Kraken Rum
Ingredients:
2 oz Kraken® Gold Spiced Rum
.05 oz Irish Cream
1 oz Espresso
Whipped Cream
Garnish: Cinnamon Stencil of The Beast
Directions: Combine all ingredients in a glass rimmed with chocolate sauce. Top with whipped cream and garnish with a cinnamon stencil of The Beast.
20. Mezcarajillo
Source:Mezcal Amarás
Ingredients:
2oz Mezcal Amarás Espadín Reposado
3oz Espresso
1/2oz Agave honey
Method:
Pour Mezcal Amarás Reposado, espresso, agave honey, and ice into a shaker. Shake well.
21. Mocha Mint Bizzy Martini (serves 2)
Source:Bizzy Cold Brew
(serves 2)
Ingredients:
4 oz. Bizzy Cold Brew concentrate
5 oz. of your favorite Vodka
1.5 oz. Chocolate Mint Bailey’s
Mint leaves to garnish
Directions:
Fill two martini glasses with ice and sparkling water to chill the glass while mixing the ingredients.
Fill a shaker with ice and pour the measured ingredients into the shaker. Shake well for 30 seconds. Note: If you are seeking a classic espresso martini, omit the Bailey’s from the recipe.
Empty the ice and sparkling water from the martini glasses and dispense the shaken ingredients between the two glasses.
22. Oaxacan Coffee
Source:Dos Hombres Mezcal
Ingredients:
1.5oz. Dos Hombres Mezcal
1/4oz. Demerara Syrup
1oz. Cold Brew
3 Dashes Chocolate Mole bitters
3/4oz. Amaro
Method:
Add ingredients to a shaker filled with ice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass over a large ice cube. Garnish with expressed orange peel. Enjoy!
23. Perfect Blend AKA Spark Plug
Source:Angel's Envy
Created by Global Head of Brand Education, Angel Teta
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz Angel’s Envy Port Finished Bourbon
1 oz Vanilla Liqueur
2 oz Espresso
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a shaker tin and shake vigorously. Strain into a coupe. Garnish with 3 coffee beans or grated cinnamon.
24. Punkuccino by Elysian Brewing
Source:Elysian Brewing
Boosted by a shot of Stumptown coffee, the Punkuccino is a unique take on the always-popular pumpkin beers that fall around this time of year.
Learn more here.
25. Sleepy Girl Martini
Source:Cheeky Cocktails
Ingredients:
1 oz Cheeky Cocktails Decaf Espresso Syrup
2 oz Grey Goose Vodka
Coffee beans for garnish
Method:
Shake vigorously over ice. Strain into a Martini or Coupe Glass. Garnish with 3 coffee beans for good luck!
26. Spiced Mexican Coffee
Source:RumChata
1 oz. RumChata
1 oz. Camarena Reposado
Fill with freshly brewed coffee
How To Prepare:
Add ingredients into a coffee mug/jarro and stir together. Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
27. Tia Cold Fashioned
Source:Tia Maria
.75 oz Tia Maria
1.5 oz Bourbon
.75 oz Cold Brew Coffee
Orange Twist
Method: Fill the glass with ice and add Tia Maria, Bourbon and Cold brew coffee. Gently stir and garnish with an orange peel. For an intense flavor express the oil of an orange peel over the glass.
28. Tully Honey Espresso Martini
Source:Tullamore D.E.W.
Created by Clodagh Mai O’Callaghan, Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey US Ambassador
Ingredients:
1.5 parts Tullamore D.E.W. Honey
1 part fresh espresso
.5 parts coffee liqueur
.25 parts sugar syrup (regular or dark sugar)
Method:
Combine, shake and strain into glass. Garnish with coffee beans.
29. Woodford Reserve Doubled Oaked Espresso Manhattan
Source:Woodford Reserve
Ingredients:
1 oz Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
3/4 oz Coffee Liqueur
¼ oz Sweet Vermouth
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Directions: Add ingredients to a shaker tin with ice. Shake vigorously until chilled and diluted.
Double strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with a lemon peel or espresso beans.