Ingredient
Coffee
Strong, hot and ideally fresh — for Irish coffee, espresso martinis, cafe fertig and the small grown-up end of the winter cocktail world.
Flavour profile
Coffee in a cocktail is best treated like a spirit: get good stuff and use it properly. For Irish coffee a strong filter or French press is right; for an espresso martini you really do need espresso. Instant coffee belongs nowhere near a drink you charge for. Always serve immediately — coffee oxidises in the glass and a cold-tasting hot drink is the saddest version of the whole category.
Recipes featuring coffee
Irish Coffee
Hot coffee, Irish whiskey and brown sugar under a float of softly whipped cream — the definitive after-dinner warmer.
Winter Espresso Martini
A wintry take on the espresso martini, with vodka, coffee liqueur and a whisper of cinnamon-vanilla syrup shaken to a silky foam.
Swiss Café Fertig
A simple Swiss après-ski classic of strong hot coffee, brown sugar and a generous measure of Träsch or Williamine fruit brandy.
Hot Spiced Coffee
A boozy hot spiced coffee with dark rum or whisky, brown sugar, cardamom and a cloud of whipped cream.