This Simple Coffee Cocktail Is Sure to Put You In The Festive Spirit

Unless you’re in the habit of blasting your air conditioning to turn your home into an icy tundra, chances are – if you’re in Florida like us – you’re enjoying temperate winter weather that’s anything but frightful. And while we love a hot, seasonal drink as much as the next person, sometimes it’s just too warm to want anything but iced coffee. Thankfully, the holiday-favorite Irish coffee works just as well chilled – and is a great way to enjoy your cold brew with an adult-friendly twist. Even better, this classic cocktail can be shaken up in a matter of minutes and is sure to hit the spot every time.

Brewing Cold Brew at Home

Though it may sound fancy, cold brew is very easy to brew at home – as long as you have enough time. The slow, heat-free brewing method means that the coffee develops a beautiful rich flavor with less of the bitterness that you’ll find in traditional iced coffee.

To brew your own, you’ll need coarsely ground coffee (we recommend using the Bodum Bistro Electric Coffee Grinder, so you can easily grind your coffee beans at home), a large container, and a strainer. Just mix your grounds into water and let sit for about 12-15 hours. We generally use a ratio of 3/4 cup grounds to 4 cups of water. We also typically opt for a medium-dark roast, like our African Cold Brew or Colombian Excelso beans, for a deep flavor that holds up well to the brewing process.

Feel free to experiment with the time, to find a brew strength that suits your taste. You can also play with the ratio of coffee to water. Once you’re done brewing, pour the mix through the strainer to remove any grounds and save in the fridge until you’re ready to drink.

Shaken or Whipped?

Although we opted to add our cream directly to our cocktail mix, you can also choose a whipped version to sit on top like a traditional, hot Irish coffee. You can get creative here too – try flavoring your cream, or even add whipped Dalgona coffee on top for a real caffeine kick. If you’re looking for a stronger drink, you could also swap out the heavy cream for Irish cream liqueur.  

Looking for something a little sweeter? Try the Nutella Mocha Cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz cold brew coffee

• 1 – 1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey

• 1 oz heavy cream or half-and-half

• 1 tbsp simple syrup

• Ice

• Nutmeg, for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Add coffee, whiskey, cream, simple syrup, and ice to a shaker and shake until chilled.

2. Pour contents over ice. Sprinkle with nutmeg and serve.

Recipe adapted from Real Simple.