Delicioso Coffee Cocktail Ideas and Tips

Do you start your day with a cup of coffee?  End your day with a cocktail?  Why not combine your two favorite beverages into one neat, liquid package? Bartenders around the country are asking the same question and are mixing innovative coffee drinks in a rapidly developing cocktail trend.

The key to a delicioso coffee cocktail is ingredient-driven, with the quality of coffee being the most important element. Coffee can taste acidic, sweet, bitter and astringent depending on the bean type and brew method. Spirits with which you can pair coffee can also make or break a drink.

Luckily, Kahlúa bottles the best of both worlds. The Arabica coffee in Kahlúa is handpicked in Veracruz, Mexico during the October to March harvest season, aged for six months and then roasted. The coffee is then ground to a specific size (yes, this matters) before being combined with water in a percolator. The resulting coffee extract is combined with sugarcane spirit, vanilla and caramel for eight weeks before being filtered and bottled.

While Kahlúa’s caramel, coffee and vanilla flavors make it a perfect coffeetail on its own, experiment to find your favorite way to integrate the flavors in a standard cup o’ joe into a tasty cocktail (hint: make better coffee).

Here are three Kahlúa coffeetail ideas to get those juices flowing:

Kahlúa Whipped Iced Latté

• 3 parts Kahlúa
• 1 part Whipped Vodka
• 1 part Milk or Cream
• 2 parts Chilled Coffee

Click here for the full recipe.

Tip: The best way to chill coffee is not actually to drip-brew it hot, which causes bitterness. Instead, opt for the immersion method: combine your usual proportion of freshly ground coffee and water in a mason jar. Store at room temperature for a day, then strain the coffee through a filter and add ice.

Kahlúa Espresso Martini

• 1.5 parts Kahlúa
• 1 part Absolut Vodka
• 1 part fresh brewed espresso

Click here for the full recipe.

Tip: Remember to let the espresso cool to room temperature before adding to shaker. This will keep the coffee from melting the ice and diluting the drink.

Kahlúa Arroz con Leche Martini

• 1.5 Parts Kahlúa
• 1 part Absolut Vanilla vodka
• 1 part sweetened condensed milk
• 1 part fresh brewed coffee

Click here for the full recipe.

Tip: Use good, clean water at room temperature. Minerals in unfiltered water taint coffee beans’ flavor. Extra hot water can turn the coffee bitter while cold water can turn it sour. Let the water cool to the touch before mixing to avoid burning off the alcohol.

Drinking Responsibly is Muy Delicioso
KAHLÚA ® Rum and Coffee Liqueur. 20% Alc./Vol. (21.5 Alc./Vol. available only in Ohio).
Product of Mexico. © 2012 Imported By The Kahlúa Company, Purchase, NY.
Enjoy KAHLÚA responsibly