Bourbon Coffee Cocktail – “The Afternoon Pick-Me-Up”
If you love coffee and bourbon as much as I do this is a must try. I’ve dubbed this drink “The Afternoon Pick-Me-Up” because it’s a perfect weekend afternoon sipper. Or drink it anytime working from home. Don’t let me tell you how to live your life. This bourbon coffee cocktail promises to bring a nuanced balance of all the ingredients.
If you have already peaked ahead to the recipe you can see that this is a lighter alcohol cocktail compared to all the other recipes on my blog. It’s also a bit sweeter. But that doesn’t mean it’s light on flavor. The coffee and bourbon play very well with the maple syrup to produce a sophisticated drink. The heavy cream float is low key the best part. Don’t skip it.
Bourbons I recommend
The drink will only be as good as the sum of it’s parts. As they say, “Garbage in. Garbage out”. Here is a short list of the bourbons I buy and drink.
- Buffalo Trace
- Wild Turkey 101
- Woodford Reserve
- Blue Note Juke
- Basil Hayden
- 4 Roses
Most of these are readily available for under $50.
Pro Tips for your Bourbon Coffee Cocktail
Like I’ve said many times in the past, the simpler the ingredient list, the more the technique matters. Here are some tips to get the most out of this recipe.
- Good Bourbon – See above for my recommendations.
- Good coffee – I personally use the Toddy Cold Brew System but please use your own personal favorite cold brew coffee.
- Real Maple Syrup – Under no circumstances are you allowed to use the cheap fake stuff. Get the real deal. Maybe even a barrel aged one would be nice.
- Big Ice Cubes – The more cocktails I make the more I realize that ice is an essential part of the equation. I always have a set of big cubes from my True Cubes Ice Maker ready to go in my freezer
Other Recipes You May Like
- Bourbon Peppercorn Cream Sauce
- Cranberry Gold Rush Recipe
- Peanut Butter Cup Martini
- Fig and Bourbon Cocktail – The Old Farmer
“The Afternoon Pick-Me-Up” Bourbon Coffee Cocktail
Ingredients
- 3 ounces cold brew coffee or regular cold strong coffee
- 1½ ounces bourbon
- ¾ ounce maple syrup the real stuff
- 2-3 dashes chocolate bitters optional but highly recommended
- 1 ounce heavy cream
Instructions
- Combine the coffee, bourbon, maple syrup and chocolate bitters (if using) in a shaker cup with ice. Shake for 10 – 20 seconds or until the shaker cup is very cold to the touch.
- Strain into a glass with fresh ice. Slowly pour the heavy cream on top as a floater then enjoy.
