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Ah, we’ve missed you, warm weather! Time for sandals, pools, sunshine, surf, green grass, patio umbrellas… and cold cocktails, too!
If you start your morning every day with coffee, you may be hesitant to make yourself a hot and steamy cup when the weather outside is also hot and steamy.
But you don’t have to sweat the loss of cold weather and your favorite cozy beverage. Chill out, pep up, and serve your coffee beverage on ice!
When you’re off from work, hosting an outdoor party, or enjoying a long weekend – or an even longer vacation – be on board with adding a little something boozy into the mix.
Here are five cold coffee cocktails sure to keep your summer parties going long, well after the sun goes down!
Recharge with 5 Cold Coffee Cocktails
1. Dark Mint Dream
Mojitos with lots of mint and lime will make for a fun evening. Take out the lime and add espresso, and what do you have now?
Something simultaneously energizing and refreshing!
Dark Mint Dream – Get the Recipe Now
Our chilled dark mint dream provides a delightfully creamy way to wet your whistle at the end of a long day, or a great way to kick off a fun party at home.
Start by making a mint syrup from scratch – there are so many tasty mint varieties out there, so take your pick!
After muddling more fresh mint in your cocktail shaker, you then shake together white rum, espresso, cream, and the syrup.
Top the cocktail off with club soda, and garnish with whipped cream and a sprig of mint.
2. Espresso Martini
Simple and classy, the martini provides a fashionable inspiration for a coffee-based beverage.
Shaken, not stirred.
Here’s how to add a little pep to your martini!
Espresso Martini – Get the Recipe Now
Shake together chilled espresso with vodka and your favorite coffee-flavored liqueur, such as Kahlua.
If you feel like enjoying something a little more decadent, but you’re still hoping to make a simple recipe, try a hazelnut version – all you have to do is swap out the Kahlua for Frangelico, a hazelnut-based liqueur.
Bond might not approve, but we’ll drink it to the last drop!
3. Iced Drunken Mocha
Now that the sun is sizzling, cool off with a double dose of buzz in your mug!
Iced Drunken Mocha – Get the Recipe Now
Try this icy mocha with a Kahlua kick – our iced drunken mocha cocktail is the recipe for you if you want your coffee with a bit of chocolate and booze.
The mixture of chocolate syrup, espresso, and coffee liqueur is a devilish trio! It’s like drinking your favorite mocha beverage, but with a fun punch at the end.
A whipped cream topping with a dusting of cocoa powder are the final garnishes that help to take this classic from an everyday drink to an exciting, special beverage you can sip and enjoy when the mood is right!
You can make your own chocolate syrup or keep a store-bought option on hand like this deep and rich hot fudge sauce from Coop’s, available now on Mouth.
4. Italian Affogato
An interesting pairing of a hot drink and a frozen dessert, an Italian affogato is a simple, two-ingredient recipe you can endlessly customize.
Made by pouring hot espresso over a cup of ice cream, it’s a small, sweet indulgence to serve as an after-dinner treat.
Italian Affogato – Get the Recipe Now
Easily booze it up with a splash of amaretto or your preferred whiskey, brandy, or rum – you’ll have a lot of fun making a different version every time company comes over!
As a fruity suggestion, our recipe for cherry chocolate chip ice cream would be a delightful match with a strong espresso and a little Heering Cherry Liqueur, or something similar.
5. Sugar Plum
Champagne is the epitome of elegance!
When combined with espresso, plum brandy, and sugar cubes, you can make a beautifully bubbly cocktail that’s perfect to enjoy during a celebration.
Sugar Plum Cocktail – Get the Recipe Now
Serve this drink to impress friends and family when you want to feel fine and fancy. Pinkies up!
This would be a lovely beverage to serve your guests during a company dinner party, bridal shower, or an engagement party that you are hosting.
You can dress up the glass by rolling sanding sugar around the rim – choose a colorless sugar for an air of sophistication, or go for a colorful option to match the theme of the evening.
A Jolt of Java and Fun
Do you have a weekend off coming up soon? We hope you’ll be able to make one of our five excellent cold coffee cocktails, from the simple to the sublime.
Enjoy these tasty, energizing beverages poolside, on a rooftop terrace, on the beach, or in the cool comfort of your own backyard.
When your friends ask how you manage to be such a genius bartender, just smile knowingly, pull another shot of espresso, and serve them a second round.
Cheers, readers!
What do you think of the combination of espresso and cocktails? What are your favorite coffee hacks to make phenomenal beverages? Do you have a favorite recipe not mentioned here? Leave a comment below as soon as you can – we have our cocktail shaker ready to go.
What about the kiddos under 21, or any adults choosing not to imbibe? Here’s your opportunity to mix together equally refreshing, yet 100% alcohol-free, delicious beverages for the rest of the crew:
Photos by Meghan Yager and Nikki Cervone, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on July 3, 2015. Last updated on June 5, 2023. Uncredited photos via Shutterstock.
About Nikki Cervone
Nikki Cervone is an ACS Certified Cheese Professional and cheesemonger living in Pittsburgh. Nikki holds an AAS in baking/pastry from Westmoreland County Community College, a BA in Communications from Duquesne University, and an MLA in Gastronomy from Boston University. When she's not nibbling on her favorite cheeses or testing a batch of cupcakes, Nikki enjoys a healthy dose of yoga, wine, hiking, singing in the shower, and chocolate. Lots of chocolate.
Let me just say, that picture is amazing! I had to click on the link to see what all the deliciousness was about! I wouldn’t have even cared if these were mocktails. They look so delicious, and have me craving some coffee!
LJP, thanks for the compliments.
I honestly think that most countries, at least in Europe, are experiencing some type of heatwave. I have literally abandoned my love for herbal tea as it is honestly too hot to drink at the moment. I am trying to drink my hot coffee in the morning but I am begining to ponder the thought of stopping all hot beverage consumption for the time being.
However, I might give a few of these a go and see how they turn out. However I don’t know how many are 9am appropriate! But sure coffee is not just for the morning so it might be a nice evening pick me up !
Cazala, I’ll be publishing a couple of articles in the next few days on cold-brewed beverages that might be just up your alley.
Oh man, this is the perfect weekend for making drinks like this. I wish I’d seen this before I hit the road earlier and did all of my holiday shopping. The traffic is horrendous here at the holidays, because I live near a few tourist destinations, so I’ll have to bookmark this page. I’ve been craving Frangelico lately, and Kahlua and Tia Maria sound pretty good, too. These are on my menu for this Summer, for sure.
What I love the most about coffee is that you can drink it all year round. Drink it hot when it is cold weather. Make an iced version when It is hot weather. These drinks look great in the photos and makes me wish I had one now.
Everyone knows I’m not a big fan of coffee, because these sound absolutely incredible! The others in my family are all regular drinkers, and like to start off each morning with a nice hot cup of joe. These looks like a great treat to surprise them with someday, maybe an afternoon boost during the break from work. My dad does long hours of physical labor, and this was be the perfect treat to greet him with. The Dunken Mocha looks especially good – I’d actually like to try that one out myself. Great ideas, thanks a bunch for sharing them!
(Loved the James Bond reference in there by the way. 😉 Very clever.)
I love an espresso martini but my preferred recipe is vodka, espresso coffee, coffee liqueur (the clear kind with no cream), and sugar syrup I comes out dark brown but not quite opaque and is absolutely delish. I don’t mind the other type either but I think the creamy flavor reduces the coffee flavor and makes it less martini and more “pudding”.
These recipes are great. I combine my two favorite drinks! coffee and liquor – my husband can enjoy it too and it wont look like we’re having too much happy hour in front of the kids!
I’m a big fan of kahlua but I don’t know how to make good coffee so I just mix a tablespoon of kahlua to instant Nescafe. Its really my lazy-go-to drink.
Tall Dark and Bubbly looks totally perfect. Great photos, really! Makes me wish I had these ingredients on hand all the time! I like to freeze espresso in ice cube trays, pour a small glass of Kahlua, or Frangelico and add a couple espresso cubes. Topped with whipped cream of course. It doesn’t get watered down which is good for me because I’m a slow drinker most of the time. This is my lazy quick fix – sweet and relaxing.
Page bookmarked…fitting those recipes onto my kitchen-to-do list…am spoilt for choice, they are amazing…making me choose will be the punishment of the century…plus I know by the time I’m done, I’ll be having numerous topping ideas especially for Dark Mint Dream and Tall Dark & Bubbly…can’t wait to make my own homemade coffee cocktails…quite thrilled 😉
I’m typing my comment with an iced coffee in hand – unfortunately, it’s of the non-alcoholic version. Of the 5 you’ve posted, I have to say the most intriguing is “Tall, Dark & Bubbly”. Champagne with espresso?? Now that’s definitely worth trying! Pinned.
Care to share the recipe of iced coffee in hand, am quite eager to know what’s in that ‘iced’ glass, 😉 kindly be generous and do tell 🙂 I’ll definitely appreciate the gesture 🙂
These are amazing! I’m not a big drinker, but I’m willing to get drunk trying everyone of these. Thought I think I’ll start with the ‘Dark Mint Dream’ because it doesn’t seem to hard core alcohol. Then I think I would like to try the ‘Tall, Dark and Bubbly’ because I like Champagne. 🙂 I’m a bit sad that I’ve found this article at the end of the summer, but if I like I’ll definitely make it for next summer.
I’m not a coffee person myself but I think I just fell in love with the cocktails. I hate the taste of regular coffee but when it’s iced or has a more sweet taste I’m down for it. Looks like I could drink those everyday in the morning while the summer is going on! 😀
These certainly leave my mouth watering. I love coffee and I love a drop of Kahlua in it. Kahlua coffee, especially in the winter is delicious. These iced coffees are really spectacular for summertime. An ice-cream mixture sounds most delicious to me.
Let me just say, that I am a coffee lover of any sort hot or cold and definitely as a martini. The expresso martini and spiced pumpkin will be on my menu of beverages tonight. I can’t wait to try these tonight. I am sure my husband will also enjoy these as he loves coffee perhaps even more than I do, especially with some liquor.
Let me start out by saying WOW! These look so refreshing, and appetizing. I am always looking for new cocktails to make for my friends when we get together; these drinks will most certainly be brought to the table. I cannot wait to try the Dark Mint Dream! How delightful!
Those look wonderful. I actually have not made any fancy foo fooed drinks at home, other than the standard coffee or latte’s. But, these look very delicious, I think I will have to give them a try.
It’s OH-SO-HOT in my part of the world. Thus, the pictures of these cold coffee cocktails drew me in! I’m saddened that they contain alcohol. Haha, I still clicked them even though the label said cocktails. Pity for me. But that’s just me. I can still envision them to be something to have to ward off the heat. They’re definitely something my friends can thoroughly enjoy – a mix of their favorites: espresso and their favorite alcohol (more the vodka and tequila).
The Drunken Mocha and the Pumpkin Spice Iced Margarita seem too good to be true. I may have to try them in my kitchen. I’ve had coffee flavored alcoholic beverages such a Buttery Nipple. That’s only because I love cold coffee only and Bailey’s Irish Cream liquor is just so sophisticated, not to mention tasty. I’m not a huge fan of club soda or vodka, but the Dark Mint Dream drink is definitely worth trying I imagine.
Wow! Great recipe ideas to different unique hacks for dressing up your cup of Joe. I plan to use a few of your recipes for a dinner party that will WOW my guests. I also love to incorporate coffee in my cooking.
Wow, what an interesting way to combine two of my beverage favorites: alcohol and coffee. I found the Tall Dark and Bubbly fascinating. I would have never thought of combining champagne and brandy, not mention then mixing this with espresso. The recipe seems easy enough to follow. I will have to try it for myself first, but this looks like a drink that I wouldn’t mind sharing with friends. We are always looking for new ideas for after dinner drinks.
I’m not really a drinker but I don’t see why I shouldn’t try at least one of this recipes, they all look extremely delicious and refreshing!
My favorite is a competition between the martini and the tall and bubbly one, and I really liked the idea of vanilla vodka, my mouth waters just by thinking about it, yum!
Well I think that the Iced Drunken Mocha is the most appealing to me right now, but I have to say that the pumpkin margarita just has a ring to the name. Of course it also sounds like it would be quite delicious, and this is the time of year to do anything pumpkin-related, so I might have to at least try that one. I have been getting more into the mochas and flavored coffees here lately, so this seems like a natural step in the right direction for me. Thanks for sharing.
I do not like hot coffee, but I do like iced, and these sound really good. I have a friend who adores pumpkin spice anything, and I immediately thought of her with that margarita. I’d never heard of making a mojito with coffee before now; I ‘ll have to try this one. I think one of the nice things about these recipes is that they can be made with or without alcohol. These sound like really good drinks to serve with brunch or in the afternoon. I’ll have to pass this on to my coffee-loving friends!