We love a great boozy coffee drink, and infusing your vodka with coffee is the stuff of dreams — or at least boozy nights where you stay awake long after you've had a drink or two. We have all the deets on making coffee-infused vodka, plus some buzzy drinks you can make with your newfound favorite booze.
How to Make Coffee-Infused Vodka
Infusing vodka and other spirits is super easy. All you need is the patience to wait for the flavors to mix with the vodka.
Ingredients & Supplies
- ⅓ cup coarsely crushed whole coffee beans; you can use up to a ½ cup
- 750mL vodka
- Two large clean bottles or jars
- Cheesecloth or other fine strainer
- Funnel
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker or mortar, coarsely grind the coffee beans with a muddler or pestle.
- In a large, clean bottle or jar, add coarsely ground coffee beans and vodka.
- After capping, shake the container gently for approximately 15-30 seconds.
- Store in a cool, dark place for approximately 3 to 4 days, swirling the container gently each day.
- Sample by pouring into a glass. If you want more flavor, allow it to steep longer.
- Pour the infused vodka into the second clean bottle through a funnel, filtering with the cheesecloth.
- Carefully seal.
You can use this right away. You can also store unused coffee-infused vodka in a cool, dark place for approximately one to two years without affecting flavor. Discard when flavors start to fade or taste off.
Variations of Coffee-Infused Vodka
It's a well-known fact that coffee vodka is a work of beauty all on its own, but even the Mona Lisa could use a little extra help.
- Add a pinch of sugar or brown sugar to add some sweetness.
- Give your coffee vodka a nutty profile by infusing it with nuts. Use ½ to ¾ cup of coarsely chopped almonds, ground hazelnuts, or chopped toasted pecans.
- Add a caramel swirl by dropping in ⅓ cup of unwrapped soft caramel candies with your coffee beans.
- Include a cup of pitted and roughly chopped cherries.
- Give a little citrus zest by adding one to two clean and sliced lemons or a whole, sliced orange.
- Add three to four whole cinnamon sticks for a cozy coffee vodka. For a different spice twist, add a tablespoon of whole star anise, and use just one whole vanilla bean for a soft touch.
- Make your coffee vodka richer by adding 2-3 ounces of a dark chocolate bar, finely chopped, to your coffee beans. You can use a ¼ tablespoon of cocoa nibs instead, too.
Coffee-Infused Vodka Cocktails
Your newly-infused vodka is incredible to sip all on its own, but why not play around with it in cocktails, too?
Double-Shot Espresso Martini
The espresso martini already does a ton of lifting. Give it even more by using coffee vodka.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces coffee-infused vodka
- ¾ ounce freshly brewed espresso or coffee
- ½ ounce coffee liqueur
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- Ice
- Three whole coffee beans for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass or coupe.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, coffee-infused vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, and simple syrup.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled glass.
- Garnish with three whole coffee beans.
Buzzing White Russian
Double up on the coffee flavors in your classic white Russian by using coffee-infused vodka. You'll be totally in your element.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces coffee-infused vodka
- 1 ounce coffee liqueur
- 1 ounce heavy cream or milk
- Ice
- Ground nutmeg for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a rocks glass, add ice, coffee vodka, coffee liqueur, and heavy cream.
- Stir to mix.
- Garnish with ground nutmeg, if desired.
Sunday Morning
Keep it simple by adding a little Irish cream, and let your coffee vodka do the talking.
Ingredients
- 2½ ounces coffee-infused vodka
- ½ ounce Irish cream
- 2-3 dashes cinnamon bitters
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail glass, add ice, coffee vodka, Irish cream, and cinnamon bitters.
- Stir to mix.
Not Don's Old-Fashioned
You won't see Don Draper whipping this old-fashioned up on Mad Men, but you can easily imagine him sipping this for breakfast anyway.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces coffee-infused vodka
- ½ ounce bourbon
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- 2-3 dashes orange bitters
- 4-5 dashes aromatic bitters
- Ice
- Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, add ice, coffee-infused vodka, bourbon, simple syrup, and bitters.
- Stir rapidly to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with an orange peel.
Mixers for Coffee-Infused Vodka
Are you stuck in your usual coffee cocktail rut? Bust through with your coffee-infused vodka.
- Amaretto
- Orange liqueur
- Irish cream
- Bourbon
- Brandy
- Cherry juice
- Chocolate milk
- Hot chocolate
- Heavy cream or whole milk
- Coconut milk
- Almond milk
- Oat milk
- Maple syrup
- Rum
- Chocolate liqueur
- Coffee and espresso, hot or iced
A Coffee-Infused Vodka to Kickstart Your Cocktails
Your friends will be all abuzz, wondering how you took your coffee cocktails from good to great and how your boozy hot chocolate could be so rich and tasty. Whether you share your secrets is up to you. So spare a handful of your coffee beans in favor of adding a little coffee to your night, too.
