30 Coffee Cocktails to Kick Off or Cap Off Your Evening

Death by Morning cocktail in gold-rimmed Nick & Nora class with mint sprig garnish, on metal serving tray — Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

The Espresso Martini and Irish Coffee are certainly two of the most well-known coffee cocktails in the world, and you’ll find plenty of riffs on them below. But don’t sleep on other inventive drinks like a Cold-Brew Negroni and a caffeinated Rum Punch. Whether you’re kick-starting an evening or enjoying a nightcap, these recipes are all delicious ways to combine your favorite flavors.

Espresso Martini

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

This famous coffee cocktail was allegedly invented in the 1980s at the request of a supermodel who asked for “something to wake me up, then fuck me up.” Bartender Dick Bradsell complied with a potent combination of vodka, espresso, and coffee liqueur, and a legend was born.

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Irish Coffee

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

This consummate after-dinner drink likely originated in Ireland’s County Limerick in the 1940s. The key to a perfect cup: preheating the mug with hot water before discarding the water and adding Irish whiskey, brown sugar, and hot brewed coffee. Topping with lightly whipped cream is a must.

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Prairie Buzz

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Whatever buzz you’re looking for, you’ll find it in this rich and herbaceous drink, which combines Rieger’s Kansas City whiskey, vino chinato, amaretto liqueur, cold-brew coffee, heavy cream, and cinnamon syrup.

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Cold-Brew Negroni

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Bar pro Pamela Wiznitzer perks up the classic Negroni formula by infusing Campari with coffee grounds. She mixes the amaro with gin and sweet vermouth for a bold yet simple riff.

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Miss Elena

Liquor.com / Todd Coleman

No espresso machine is required for this elegant Espresso Martini riff from New York City bartender Beau Bradley. He combines vodka, Nonino amaro, pedro ximénez sherry, and simple syrup with Mr Black coffee liqueur in lieu of an espresso shot.

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Tequila Espresso Martini

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Karla Flores-Mercado, owner of Bar Flores in Los Angeles’s Echo Park neighborhood, created this tequila-based Espresso Martini variation, which utilizes cold brew, honey, and amaro to create a unique flavor profile that revitalizes the old standard.

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Death by Morning

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

The Espresso Martini meets a Death in the Afternoon. Bartender Dzu Nguyen combines absinthe, Branca Menta, coffee liqueur, espresso or cold-brew concentrate, demerara sugar, and Angostura bitters to produce a bracing and minty cocktail.

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The Dead Rabbit Irish Coffee

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

This warming Irish Coffee is the signature drink at New York City Irish bar The Dead Rabbit. One sip and you’ll see why: Bartender Jack McGarry combines Clontarf Irish whiskey, brewed coffee, and demerara syrup for delicious results.

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Oaxacan Tail

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Coffee often finds its match in whiskey, but this smoky and bittersweet combination is made for agave and amari lovers. The brunch cocktail from Esters Wine Shop & Bar in Santa Monica combines Foro amaro, mezcal, blanco tequila, cold-brew coffee, and chocolate mole bitters.

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Roman Holiday

A.J. Trela

The Jungle Bird took a vacation to Italy for this coffee-fueled twist on the tropical classic. Re-create the recipe from Cindy’s Rooftop Bar in Chicago with Amaro Meletti, Campari, cold-brew coffee, pineapple and lime juices, demerara syrup, and a pinch of sea salt.

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Buena Vista Irish Coffee

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

The Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco introduced Americans to the Irish Coffee in 1952, and to this day it makes more of the drink than any bar in the world. Its beloved recipe isn’t so different from the classic, but calls for F&H sugar cubes instead of brown sugar.

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Nightcap

Daniel Moik

Ignore the name: This boozy Espresso Tonic is more likely to kick start your night than cap it off. Bartender Daniel Moik combines rum, cold-brew coffee, maple syrup, orange zest, Angostura bitters, and tonic water.

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Kirsch au Café

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Bartending pro St. John Frizell combines cognac, kirsch, Cherry Heering liqueur, espresso, simple syrup, and an egg white for this silky cherry-and-coffee-flavored drink. Mix one up for yourself and a lucky friend—the recipe yields two.

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Italian Espresso Martini

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

This drink from Kansas City bartender Nicholas Boden swaps vodka for Averna amaro, rendering it lower in alcohol than your typical ’Tini. The amaro works with espresso and Kahlúa to produce a rich and gently bittersweet digestif.

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Emerald Isle of the Caribbean

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

For this tropical-inspired Irish Coffee, bartender Paul McGee employs rum instead of Irish whiskey, which he combines with freshly-brewed dark-roast coffee, cinnamon syrup, an allspice-vanilla syrup, and spiced whipped cream.

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Cowboy Coffee

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Although it’s served in a flute, this spirit-forward drink bears more similarities to an Old Fashioned than a Champagne Cocktail. Denver bar pro Sean Kenyon combines crushed coffee beans, whiskey, demerara syrup, and Angostura bitters.

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Irish Affogato

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

It’s hard to improve upon a classic Irish Coffee, but adding ice cream never hurt anything. This drinkable dessert combines coffee ice cream, Irish whiskey, Irish cream liqueur, and cold-brew coffee.

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Rich Coffee

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

This herbaceous cocktail is rich indeed. San Francisco bartender Tommy Quimby combines hot brewed coffee with creme de cacao and Fernet-Branca, then tops the mug with a homemade pistachio whipped cream.

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A Figgin’ Good Time

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

This drink gets its name from a homemade sambuca syrup that combines the anise spirit with figs, orange peels, and brown sugar. Bar pro Peter Hernandez mixes up a boldly-flavored cocktail by combining it with vodka, espresso, and chocolate bitters.

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Café Corrección Ponche

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Serve a crowd of coffee lovers with this big-batch Rum Punch variation from bar pro Eric Alperin. He combines añejo rum, cold-brew coffee, Punt e Mes vermouth, an orange oleo saccharum, orange juice, and simple syrup.

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Fort Defiance Irish Coffee

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

This Irish Coffee from bar pro St. John Frizell of Fort Defiance in Brooklyn swaps freshly brewed coffee for a shot of espresso lengthened with boiling water. Cap it off with Irish whiskey, whipped cream, and a fresh dusting of cinnamon.

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Midnight Oil

Brett Esler

This rum cocktail is inspired by Austin bar pro Brett Esler’s favorite breakfast combo: a cup of coffee and a slice of banana bread. To re-create the flavors, he combines rum, ginger and banana liqueurs, cold-brew coffee, and vanilla extract, then tops the mixture with a bruléed banana garnish.

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Eye Opener

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

What happens when you combine three of life’s great pleasures? This rich and, yes, eye-opening cocktail, which combines Irish whiskey, cold-brew coffee, stout beer, and a ginger-brown-sugar syrup.

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Gran Rosta Coffee

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

This Irish Coffee starts with Irish whiskey, brewed coffee, demerara syrup, and whipped cream. Then, the twist: a ground popcorn powder, which adds a buttery and salty element to the classic.

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The Morning After

The Barrow House

Bartender Shawn Gorga combines cognac, Mr Black coffee liqueur, Averna amaro, Xila liqueur, cold-brew coffee, and chocolate bitters to produce an herbaceous and complex drink. It’s just as perfect after dinner as it is the morning after.

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Shoulda Benne Pirate

Harold's Cabin

Benne wafer cookies are a South Carolina staple, and they’re the garnish for this locally-inspired drink from Harold’s Cabin in Charleston, which combines a strawberry-infused rum, cold-brew coffee, Irish cream liqueur, simple syrup, and an egg white. Whether or not you top it with crushed-up cookies, the rich drink can double as dessert.

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Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Skip the line at Starbucks and make a big, boozy batch of this seasonal staple. Just add your choice of Frangelico, bourbon, or rum to a mix of freshly brewed coffee, milk, heavy cream, pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.

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Cardamom

Mace

For his inventive Espresso Martini riff, New York City bartender Nico de Soto combines pistachio-fat-washed vodka with a shot of espresso and a homemade cardamom syrup. Three cardamom pods replace the classic coffee-bean garnish.

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Spark & Stormy

Liquor.com / Tim Nusog

Not all coffee cocktails are rich and creamy. This refreshing and smoky drink combines cold-brew concentrate with Drambuie, mezcal, pineapple juice, and club soda.

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Espresso Milk Punch

Juliana Argentino

The Milk Punch is a brunch classic, and this caffeinated twist is sure to jump start your day, thanks to a bottled-in-bond bourbon, espresso and chicory liqueurs, and heavy cream.

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