10 Coffee Cocktails to Kick Off Happy Hour

Ingredients 1 oz. pumpkin spice liqueur 1 oz. premium Irish cream liqueur 1 oz. vanilla vodka 5 oz. hot coffee whipped cream nutmeg Preparation Build cocktail in a coffee mug or thick rocks glass. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg. (Darryl Robinson, Dr. Mixologist)

Ingredients 8 oz. hot brewed coffee 1 ½ oz. Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur 1 ½ oz. cherry brandy 2 Tbsps. whipped cream sugar and cream to taste (optional) grated nutmeg chocolate shavings Preparation Pour coffee into 12 oz. mug. Add sugar or cream to taste. Stir in liqueur and brandy. Top with whipped cream. Grate nutmeg (3-4 scratches) onto whipped cream. Shave chocolate by scraping a chef’s knife across a chocolate bar. Add a few curls of chocolate and serve immediately. (Mixologist Heather Arndt Anderson)

Ingredients 2 oz. New Amsterdam Vodka 1 oz. strong coffee ½ oz. Triple Sec 1 oz. milk 3 coffee beans Preparation Add all ingredients, except beans, in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake very well. Strain over ice into a rocks glass or up into a martini glass. Garnish with 3 coffee beans. (Mixologist Jonathan Pogash)

Ingredients 1 large ripe orange 2 cups white sugar 2 cups raw sugar 3 cups water 1 ½ cups freshly brewed espresso 4 cups vodka ½ cup brandy 1 vanilla bean Preparation Scrub the orange with a vegetable brush so the skin is very clean. Then, zest the orange, avoiding too much pith. Discard (or eat) the rest of the orange. Place all ingredients in a large (one gallon) glass jar with a sealable lid. Let stand one week. Shake well each day. Remove orange peel and let stand alone for another week or two to your taste. Chill and serve. (Excerpted from “Edible Cocktails: Garden to Glass” by Natalie Bovis, The Liquid Muse)

Ingredients 2 oz. Jameson 1 oz. cold pressed coffee 1 oz. Bittermens Coffee Liqueur .5 oz. simple syrup Bailey’s-infused whipped cream (heavy cream with Bailey’s folded in) Preparation Add all ingredients to a pint glass with ice. Stir thoroughly for 20 seconds. Top with Bailey’s-infused whipped cream. (Lead bartender E Hay Apaga of Black Jack in Washington, DC)

Ingredients 1 oz. brandy .5 oz. Benedictine .5 oz. Frangelico Hazelnut Liqueur .5 oz. coffee liqueur 2.5 oz. freshly brewed coffee 1 toasted marshmallow Preparation Add all ingredients in an Irish coffee mug and stir gently. Top with a toasted marshmallow. (Mixologist Adam Jed of Bluestem Brasserie in San Francisco)

Ingredients 1 oz. rye whiskey .5 oz. white crème de cacao .5 oz. maraschino liqueur 2-3 oz. cold brewed coffee whipped cream grated chocolate Preparation Add all ingredients, except whipped cream, coffee, and chocolate, in a cocktail shaker. Shake and strain over ice in a Collins glass. Top with coffee, whipped cream, and grated chocolate. Coffee and cream can be added to desired amounts. (Pedalers Fork in Calabasas, California)

Ingredients 1 ½ oz. coffee liqueur 1 ½ oz. black currant liqueur 1 shot espresso 1 stout draught beer, chilled Preparation Mix the coffee liqueur, black currant liqueur, and espresso together in a spouted measuring cup. Divide between two 10-oz. chilled beer mugs. Then, evenly split the stout between the glasses. Stir gently to combine. (FoodNetwork.com)

Ingredients 1 shot chilled espresso 1 oz. premium chocolate liqueur 1 oz. Kahlua 1 oz. vodka ½ oz. milk Preparation Add all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously. Pour drink in a chilled glass. For extra ammo, add another shot of espresso. (Bar manager Alex Schalchlin of Stinson’s Bistro in Austin, Texas)

Ingredients 2 oz. Ron Zacapa 0.5 oz. Pedro Ximenez Sherry 0.5 oz. white crème de cacao 1 shot chilled espresso 4 dashes chocolate bitters 3 espresso beans Preparation Build cocktail by combining all ingredients into shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously to create a slight foam. Strain into chilled martini glass. Add espresso beans for garnish. (The Chester in New York City.)