Combine the love of coffee and good alcohol

Good coffee and premium alcohol have more in common than meets the eye. In both cases, they are beverages that were first frowned upon, but today many of us can't imagine life without them.

At the same time, there is a widespread belief that both coffee and fine alcohol can only be enjoyed in their pure, unmixed form. But if you like to experiment, and you like a noble taste, you can try one of the coffee cocktails. To help you choose, we have prepared some of the most famous recipes.

About mixing coffee and alcohol in general

The idea of mixing coffee and alcohol is nothing new under the sun. It can be said that in almost every country the two drinks have been mixed for centuries, or at least decades in the case of more modern variants. So if someone wanted to taste all the coffee drinks in the world, they probably wouldn't have half a lifetime to do it.

In case you're just starting out with coffee drinks, the easiest way to go about it is to choose a combination of coffee and alcohol that you also like in its pure form. It is also important to use the brand of alcohol that is listed in the recipe. Very often, the alcohol is chosen to perfectly complement the flavors present in the coffee and other ingredients.

Recipe: Real Irish Coffee

Irish coffee was originally intended to warm the frostbitten passengers on the first flights across the Atlantic. But today it's available in many places around the world, and in the US in particular it has become an iconic drink in several bars. The most famous is probably the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco.

To make an Irish coffee, you'll need roughly 40ml of good quality warmed Irish whiskey. Pour this into a glass and you'll come up with around 150ml of espresso or lungo. Add whipped cream at the end. If you want a sweet drink, sweeten it with sugar syrup and stir in a shaker before adding the cream. Remember, we never stir Irish coffee properly before drinking it, but always drink it over the cream on top of the cup. 

• 40 ml Irish whiskey

• 150 ml coffee (espresso/lungo)

• sugar syrup

• whipped cream

Coldbrew gin tonic

If you're one of those gin and tonic lovers, you can improve it by pairing it with coffee. Just as the non-alcoholic drink espresso tonic has been a hit in recent years, its alcoholic variant is gaining popularity around the world. To enjoy this drink, you will need coffee ideally prepared using the cold brew method. This is mixed in a chilled glass with 30 ml of quality gin, 20 ml of sugar syrup and premium tonic water. 

• 30 ml of gin

• sugar syrup

• 50 ml coffee (cold brew)

• 60 ml of tonic water (or refill to taste)