COFFEE COCKTAILS GET A REFRESH

A new generation of coffee cocktails is percolating greater interest at bars and coffee shops. Some are experimenting with bottled cold brews and using hot espresso to upgrade espresso martinis, while roasters are partnering with distillers to create coffee spirits – including a coffee vodka from Central Standard in Milwaukee, and a coffee amaro pazzo made by Long Road Distillers and Madcap Coffee in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Then there’s the experimental crowd – including The Aviary in Chicago and Kobrick Coffee Co. in New York – which are using siphon coffee brewers to infuse hot cocktails, or an AeroPress to slip a shot of caffeine into classic old fashioneds.

The result is a lineup of coffee drinks that rivals classic cocktails, as opposed to the sugary booze bombs of the past. “Tasting through your coffees and thinking of what flavors you want to accentuate or highlight is a great way to start creating a cocktail,” says Amanda Whitt, a New York–based coffee and cocktail consultant.

Contrary to conventional wisdom, coffee-based cocktails are not more expensive or time-consuming to produce than traditional cocktails, as liquor still tends to be far more expensive than coffee.

Cold brew concentrates, which can be refrigerated for up to a week, have a longer shelf life than hot coffee that’s been chilled. Plus, coffee cocktails allow restaurants to open earlier and coffee shops to stay open later, thus offsetting rising urban rent costs. Whitt reports that coffee cocktails often up ticket totals. “They are typically a drink someone orders who will ‘hang’ and have one to three drinks,” she says, “rather than a simple grab-and-go order.”

Spiced Cold Brew Negroni Recipe 

Matt Foster Kaldi’s, St. Louis

1 oz. gin
1 oz. cold brew coffee
½ oz. Campari
½ oz. punt e mes
Orange peel, to garnish
Cinnamon, to garnish

Combine liquids in a glass over a single ice cube. Garnish with orange peel and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Makes 1 serving.
 

Coffee-spiked negronis are particularly hot at the moment because the bitterness of Campari and coffee meld seamlessly. Plus, bartenders can use any kind of coffee to keep costs down. The acidic nature of washed coffees, so named because the outer layer of each bean is removed before they’re washed with water, complements the citrus flavors from the Campari; light-roasted coffees add slightly fruity and chocolate notes on the finish, and dark roasts add strong chocolate notes on the end.

“The negroni is a stirred drink that can be served over ice or straight up,” says Matt Foster, a barista at Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co., which has several cafés in St. Louis and the surrounding area. “Even if you use a coffee that’s not concentrated, it won’t dilute the cocktail any more than an ice cube would.” Foster, who recently won the first U.S. Coffee in Good Spirits competition, does his spiced cold brew negroni simply with a single ice cube, an orange peel garnish and a sprinkle of cinnamon to offset the bitter tones.

MORE POPULAR COFFEE COCKTAILS

Ration and Dram, an innovative craft cocktail bar in Atlanta, makes its own nitrogen-infused coffee, which it pours cold from a keg. The result is creamy and cascading, like a Guinness, but with an aggressive jolt rather than a lulling affect. For the Speedy Gonzalez, Ration and Dram’s inspired brunch pick-me-up, Mixologist/Partner Andy Minchow tops a mix of Vida mezcal, fernet and agave nectar with three ounces of the house nitro coffee to produce a rich cocktail that balances sweet, bitter and smoky. “It’s a punch-you-in-the-face-and-wake-you-up kind of cocktail,” says Minchow, who also calls it a “one-and-done” drink. “I had one guy order two – and that was that.”

Beatrix, an all-day spot in Chicago, takes advantage of the versatility of coffee cocktails by offering untraditional espresso old fashioneds at all three meals. The drink bridges Beatrix’s dedicated coffee bar and its ambitious bar program: at brunch, customers sip them over eggs; at dinner, people pound them like any other cocktail. Beatrix mixes its espresso with syrup, which enables it to hold its flavor – and hold its own with molasses-tinged Buffalo Trace bourbon, spiced Cruzan^® Black Strap Rum and chocolate bitters. “Barrel-aged spirits can have notes of coffee and cocoa,” says John Economos, a partner. “This cocktail highlights those flavors more, and the inclusion of Black Strap Rum gives the drink a burnt sugar-pancake type flavor.” 

While Irish coffee may long have been the go-to alcoholic beverage for coffee lovers, it is not the only coffee cocktail in town anymore. Adding some alcohol to hot or cold coffee is a great way to give it more flavor and an extra kick. Several types of alcohol mix well with coffee, with dark spirits being among the best flavor matches. Several other liqueurs can be an excellent addition, too, helping to sweeten the coffee while adding another layer of flavor. Coffee cocktails are getting a refresh, and it is one worth checking out. Sampaloc, also known as tamarind, is a tart and tangy fruit used primarily in sinigang, a sour-savory stew, and in candies. It also is sold as a paste to add to marinades.