Let’s make sure that the coffee is just as important as all the other ingredients. Simple but sophisticated, for old school cocktail connoisseurs as well as new wave coffee afficianados.

Cocktail Inspiration

Licor 43 mixed into a classic Manhattan with strong coffee

Ingredients

• 25 Ml. Licor 43 Original
• 25 Ml. Rye (100 proof, bottled-in-bond, perhaps New Riff from Kentucky)
• 15 Ml. Vermouth (aromatic, dry, perhaps a nutty one like Cocchi)
• 120 Ml. Brewed coffee (bold French Roast, medium-fine grind, v60 pour-over would be ideal)
• 25 Ml. Espresso (again, bold French Roast, fine grind, whatever method produces a smooth shot with a good crema, I use a Breville Bambino at home)
• 1 Ml. Orange peel, for garnish
• 1 Ml. 3-4 drops of bitters (I recommend Peychaud rather than Angostura)

Method

Cocktail Preparation

• First, start to prepare the Red Eye, grinding up 9 mg French roast to a medium-fine grind, using a v60 pour-over cone, and brewing a small, 4 oz (120 ml) cup of brewed coffee.
• Then, add a single shot of espresso (9mg finely ground coffee, extracting a single 25 ml shot of espresso) to the brewed coffee, and leave it to sit in the fridge and cool down while you assemble the rest.
• In a cocktail shaker filled with ice cubes add 1 shot (25 ml) of Licor 43, 1 shot of a good Bottled-in-Bond 100 proof Rye, 1 shot of a dry, nutty Vermouth and 3-4 drops bitters
• Add the Red Eye coffee mixture to the shaker, assuming it has cooled down and won't melt the icee when added).
• Shake everything vigirously, aiming to create a nice, frothy texture.
• Take some orange peel, rub it around the rim of a low-ball rocks glass, fill half-way with crushed ice or very small cubes.
• Strain the cocktail mixture into the rocks glass and garnish with orange peel.

Coffee Preparation

• Grind 9g of dark French Roast coffee to a medium-fine grind and place grounds in a pour-over cone, ready for brewing (Hario v60 is my preferred pour-over equipment)
• Heat a kettle of water to 95 degrees C and pour 120ml of near-boiling water over the grounds, slowly, preferably with a goose-neck kettle that allows a controlled pour and even soaking of the grounds.
• Then, grind 9g of dark French Roast coffee to an espresso-fine grind into a single-shot espresso filter basket
• Tamp down grounds with a good degree of pressure and place portafilter firmly in espresso machine (Breville Bambino is what I use at home)
• Extract a single shot (25 ml) of espresso, either directly into the cup with the brewed coffee or into a shot holder and then pour into the brewed coffee
• Leave the Red Eye to cool in the fridge