To make a great tasting coffee cocktail, it’s a given that you need great tasting coffee as a base. But using an alcohol that pairs well with coffee is essential.
Fortunately, many varieties of alcohol complement the taste of coffee—a good rule of thumb is that darker liquors like rum, whiskey, and brandy/cognac tend to work better, though vodka can be great too.
What separates a gourmet hot coffee cocktail from tasting like a strong, bitter mix of alcohol with some coffee thrown in? Well, like mixing other kinds of cocktails, it’s all in the proportions.
Plenty of flavored liqueurs mix with coffee well too—Irish cream, amaretto, and Kahlua (naturally) are great choices, but unless you’re in a time crunch, it can be fun to experiment and see what coffee cocktail combos you can come up with. While they might not be drinkable 100% of the time, you might stumble upon a new recipe—so keep track of what you’re mixing in case you want to make it again later!
If you just want a piping hot alcoholic coffee drink that’s pretty much guaranteed to taste delicious, warm you up, and wake you up as long as you follow the recipe, here are 3 great coffee cocktail ideas:
El Mochacito
Chocolate and coffee, who would’ve thought? A lot of the coffee cocktail recipes out there call for instant coffee—yech. I suppose the alcohol covers up the taste a bit, but why do this to yourself or your guests? Take the extra couple minutes to brew some fresh Black Insomnia’s real, ultra caffeinated coffee for this original hot coffee cocktail. Your guests will thank you.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Dark Rum (or Whiskey, or Bourbon)
- 2 oz Black Insomnia Coffee (Classic or Dark Roast)
- .5 oz Vanilla Liqueur
- A dash of Chocolate Bitters
- Simple Syrup (to taste)
Instructions
- Brew a fresh cup or carafe of Black Insomnia Classic Roast.
- Add all ingredients into your shaker, and shake vigorously
- Pour into a rocks glass with a large whiskey rock or ice cube.
Cabana Republic
This original cocktail tastes great with a shot of Kahlua added to the recipe, but the taste of freshly brewed Black Insomnia classic roast coffee mixed with the flavors of the Flor de Cana, banana, and vanilla should be more than enough. You can also use coconut flavored rum if you want to get really tropical.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Flor de Cana 5 or 7 Year Rum
- 2 oz Black Insomnia Coffee (Classic Roast)
- .5 oz Banana Liqueur
- 2 drops Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Shake all the ingredients together with ice.
- Strain into a cocktail glass or coupe glass.
The Velocifero
Because you’ve got to use the Maraschino Liqueur in your cabinet for something—and even if you’re Howard Hughes, you can only drink so many Aviations.
This classy coffee cocktail is a twist on the MGM Grand, but with cinnamon flavor (in place of orange) to better complement the hot coffee. And unlike its inspiration, it’ll put some pep in your step.
Ingredients
- Black Insomnia Classic Roast Coffee
- 1.5 oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac
- 1 oz Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
- .25 oz Cinnamon Syrup
- Whipped Topping
- Cinnamon Powder
Instructions
- Brew a fresh cup or carafe of Black Insomnia Classic Roast.
- Mix Cognac, Maraschino liqueur and cinnamon syrup together in a cocktail glass.
- Pour coffee on top, then top the whole thing with whipped cream, and powdered cinnamon.
- (Optional) Garnish with a cherry or a few whole coffee beans, but not both because it’ll look too inviting and might cause an accident as people begin rushing toward the glass like inebriated moths to a flame.
