Best Coffee Cocktails

If you're the sort of superstitious person who won't walk under a ladder or open an umbrella indoors, the realisation that Friday the 13th 2022 is only a matter of hours away will probably have you trembling with fear. But on this occasion at least, there's no need to worry, because this Friday isn't just Friday the 13th… it's also World Cocktail Day!

A global celebration of the most fabulous and flamboyant of all drinks, World Cocktail Day takes place on May 13th every year to commemorate the publication date of the first definition of a cocktail way back in 1806.

In honour of this momentous day, we've picked out our top five coffee cocktail recipes for you to try at home. But first, some advice!

1) The key to good coffee cocktails is the coffee, so take the time to brew the best, richest coffee you can.

2) The following recipes are all extremely tasty but, in larger doses, caffeine + alcohol = headache, so please drink in moderation!

Black Russian

An all-time classic, Black Russians taste like fancy desserts and are guaranteed to give you an energy boost. Perfect as an after dinner drink, they're also incredibly simple to make. Okay, the recipe calls for coffee liqueur rather than actual coffee but let's not cut our delicious nose off to spite our face.

Ingredients

To make a Black Russian, you will need:

• 50ml vodka

• 25ml coffee liqueur

• ice

• 1 maraschino cherry

Just pour the vodka and coffee liqueur into a tumbler filled with ice and stir until well chilled, then add the cherry and serve.

Kentucky Whipped Coffee

Much as we enjoy an Irish coffee, this southern-fried variant is sweeter, smoother and enhances the coffee flavour, making it the perfect cocktail for true, moustache-twirling coffee aficionados.

Ingredients

To make a Kentucky Whipped Coffee, you will need:

• 4 tsp sugar

• 50ml bourbon

• 1 cup of fresh espresso coffee

• Double cream

Place the sugar and bourbon in a mug, then stir until thoroughly combined. Fill the mug with the coffee, then pour on a good dollop of cream via the back of a spoon to finish.

Dark Mint Dream Cocktail

For a refreshing twist on the coffee cocktail, this minty little number is chilled, indulgent and a dream come true for fans of iced coffee.

Ingredients

To make a Dark Mint Dream Cocktail, you will need:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup water

• 9 large mint leaves, plus a sprig for garnish

• 1 1/2 fl oz white rum

• 1 fl oz espresso

• 1 fl oz heavy cream

• 3/4 fl oz mint simple syrup

• 1 fl oz club soda

• Whipped cream, for garnish

Start by making a syrup. Put the sugar, water and 5 mint leaves in a saucepan over a medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and cover. Leave it to steep for 20 mins, then remove the mint leaves and allow to cool completely.

Next, place the 4 remaining mint leaves in a cocktail shaker and gently mash with a wooden spoon (or muddler, if you have one). Add the rum, espresso, cream and syrup, fill with ice and shake well. Pour straight into a cocktail glass filled with ice. Top with club soda, then garnish with whipped cream and the sprig of mint.

Café Royal

This low-alcohol drink is richer but less sweet than most other coffee-based cocktails, making it the perfect option for lazy afternoons spent in the garden.

Ingredients

To make a Café Royal, you will need:

• 15ml coffee liqueur

• 1 cup of fresh espresso coffee

• Whipped cream

• Cocoa powder

First, warm a coffee mug by filling it with boiling hot water. Leave it to sit for a few minutes, then pour the water out. Pour in the coffee liqueur and fill to within one inch of the top of the mug with the coffee. Top with the whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder.

Espresso Martini

No list of coffee-based cocktails would be complete without this British-born showstopper. First appearing in Soho in the '80s, Espresso Martinis are now so popular that London hosts an annual five-day festival to celebrate them!  

Ingredients

To make an Espresso Martini, you will need:

• 50g golden caster sugar

• ice

• 50ml vodka

• 25ml freshly brewed espresso coffee

• 25ml coffee liqueur

• 2 coffee beans

Begin by making a simple sugar syrup - put the caster sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat, pour in 25ml water, stir and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Meanwhile, put a martini glass in the fridge to chill

As soon as the syrup is cool, pour ½ tbsp into a cocktail shaker with a handful of ice, the vodka, coffee liqueur and espresso. Shake until the cocktail shaker feels cold in your hands, then strain into the chilled glass and garnish with the coffee beans.

Let Cafe2U come to your rescue this Friday 13th

At Cafe2U, the only thing that scares us is you running out of coffee, so our baristas will be out and about on the roads as normal on World Cocktail Day. If you're trying one of our recipes but need some top quality coffee to do it justice, contact your nearest Cafe2U van here and we'll deliver some right to your doorstep.

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Irish Coffees

Known across the world as Saint Patrick's Day, March 17th is the day on which Irish culture and heritage are celebrated in all their glory in commemoration of Saint Patrick, Ireland's foremost patron saint.

Saint Patrick was an Irish bishop who was kidnapped by Irish raiders and forced to work as a shepherd, during which time he found God. Tradition has it that God told Patrick to escape and head to the coast, where a ship would be waiting to take him home to Ireland. Upon his return, Patrick converted thousands of pagan Irish to Christianity, carving out the religious path that Ireland would follow for centuries to come.

Despite his death on March 17th, 461 A.D, his legend continued to grow and, in the 17th century, his death date was made an official Christian feast day observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion and others.

Today, despite only being officially recognised as a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, St. Patrick's Day is celebrated all over the world. In fact, it's celebrated in more countries than any other national festival, with revellers typically enjoying public parades, traditional Irish music sessions, the wearing of green clothing and, of course, a glass or two of Irish beer, cider or whiskey. 

It's with the latter that we're concerned today.

According to legend, the first Irish coffee was created in the winter of 1943 by Joe Sheridan, a chef at Foynes Port near Limerick. During World War II, as the last port of call for seaplanes east of the Atlantic, Foynes became one of the largest civilian airports in Europe.

One evening, Chef Joe decided to make a warming drink with a kick for a group of weary passengers whose plane had been forced to return to Foynes midway through a journey. Not only did his combination of coffee, cream and Irish whisky go down a storm with the travellers, it went on to become one of the most popular alcoholic drinks of all time and one which is still enjoyed as an indulgent end-of-meal drink today and particularly on St. Patrick's Day.

So how do you make the perfect Irish coffee at home?

Irish Coffee Recipe

The saying goes that on St. Patrick's Day, everyone is Irish. If that's the case, there's no excuse for not giving this recipe a go this week. 

Ingredients

To make an Irish coffee, you will need:

• 2 tbsp double cream

• 150ml freshly brewed black coffee

• 50ml Irish whiskey

• 1 tsp brown sugar

• pinch freshly grated nutmeg

• mint syrup (optional)

Start by lightly whipping the cream until it starts to thicken, then set aside.

Next, pour the hot coffee into a mug then add the whiskey and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then float the cream on top by pouring it carefully over the back of a spoon held just above the surface of the liquid. Gradually raise the spoon as you pour until the entire layer is floated.

Finally, sprinkle with the nutmeg and serve hot. Add a dash of mint syrup for a green finish!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Our mobile baristas will be on the road as usual this St. Patrick's Day so, if you fancy making an Irish coffee and need some coffee delivering to your doorstep, contact your nearest Cafe2U van here and we'll do the rest. Sláinte!

Boozy Festive Coffee Recipes

Obviously we're a little biased but we think coffee is one of the most versatile drinks around. It's perfect first thing in the morning or during the day, great whether the weather's hot or cold and, most importantly at this time of year, it goes brilliantly with a host of other drinks and flavours. So when it comes to making a cheeky Christmas tipple, coffee is a must-have ingredient. 

We love a boozy coffee on special occasions so we've compiled some of our favourite recipes to share with you. Here's how to make them:

Orange mocha

Bucks fizz has long been a Christmas staple in the UK and the perfect way to get into the party mood. But if you fancy a drink with a kick on Christmas morning, but don't particularly like champagne, this orange mocha is for you.

Ingredients

To make four boozy orange mochas, you will need:

• 4 cups of espresso coffee

• one tin of sweetened condensed milk (standard 397g size)

• ¼ cup cocoa powder

• 2 oranges peels 

• 1 ¼ cups of chocolate vodka

Start by combining the coffee and condensed milk in a saucepan over a low heat, then slowly whisk in the cocoa powder, stirring continuously. Add the orange peels and leave to steep for five minutes.

Next, simply remove the pan from the heat, stir in the chocolate vodka, take out the orange peels and serve. If you're feeling particularly indulgent, adding some fresh whipped cream won't hurt either!

Gingerbread latte

Along with pumpkin spice, gingerbread flavour lattes have become one of the UK's most popular Christmas drinks. But what you won't find on offer in your average high street coffee shop are gingerbread lattes with added coffee liqueur!

Ingredients

To make a gingerbread latte, you will need:

• 30ml strong espresso coffee

• 40ml gingerbread syrup

• 180ml full fat milk

• 20ml coffee liqueur

• whipped cream

• ground cinnamon

Begin by heating the milk to scalding, then stir in the gingerbread syrup. Next, pour the coffee liqueur into a mug and pour the coffee over the top, then add the gingerbread milk. Garnish with whipped cream and a sprinkling of cinnamon to serve. Best enjoyed from a sofa when it's cold outside.

Peppermint mocha

When it comes to Christmas, few things are as evocative as peppermint candy canes, so it's no surprise that peppermint mochas are the perfect accompaniment to an evening spent wrapping presents or watching a Christmas movie.

Ingredients

To make a super simple peppermint mocha, you will need:

• one cup of espresso coffee

• 15ml creme de menthe

• 15ml chocolate liqueur

• 2 tbsp double cream

• whipped cream

• one peppermint candy cane 

First, smash the candy cane by wrapping it in a tea towel and giving it a couple of whacks with a rolling pin. Next, add the creme de menthe and chocolate liqueur to the coffee, stir to combine, then add the double cream. Garnish with the whipped cream and a handful of the crushed candy cane pieces.

Irish coffee

The classic! Everybody and their nan loves this combination of coffee and Irish cream liqueur once Christmas rolls around - it's the perfect way to finish a meal. Here's how to take your's to the next level.

Ingredients

To make one Irish coffee, you will need:

• 2 tbsp double cream

• 150ml freshly brewed black coffee

• 50ml Irish whiskey

• 1 tsp brown sugar

• freshly grated nutmeg

Start by lightly whipping the cream until it begins to thicken, then set aside. Next, pour the hot coffee into a mug, then add the Irish whiskey and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Gently layer the cream on top, add a sprinkling of nutmeg to serve and prepare to feel smug when everyone compliments you on how good it is!

Christmas at Cafe2U

Of course, alcohol isn't for everyone. If you'd rather settle in with a top quality coffee minus the booze, our mobile vans will be on the road throughout the festive period and our trained baristas have some of the finest coffees around. To have some delivered to your door today, find out where your nearest van is using our interactive map here.