Cold Brew Bourbon Cocktail

Since this Cold Brew Bourbon Cocktail combines two of my favorite things, cold brew coffee and bourbon, it couldn't really go wrong! Although it's served chilled, this cocktail definitely highlights the warm and cozy flavors.

This drink, to me, is the perfect bridge between seasons. When you're wanting to get into fall flavors, but it's still a little bit too hot out to go for the full on PSL!

I took a little inspiration from the Dalgona coffee craze and whipped the cold brew concentrate up with some sugar for a nice foam on top. This not only gives a great presentation, but really keeps the coffee aromas front and center for the whole drink.

Desserts that would go perfectly with this cocktail are these airy Swedish Dream Cookies, or these rich Chocolate Madeleines.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Equipment
• Garnish
• 📖 Recipe

Ingredients

I decided to pair the bourbon with Licor 43, a sweet, marshmallow-y liqueur. With its vanilla flavors, it goes perfectly in so many coffee based cocktails. Then, I layered in a homemade cinnamon vanilla infusion to complement the other flavors.

Here is what you'll need to make this cocktail:

• Maker's Mark Bourbon
• Licor 43
• Infusion of cinnamon and vanilla
• Cold Brew concentrate
• Granulated sugar or sugar substitute
• Chocolate Bitters
• Water
• Cinnamon to sprinkle on top

Instructions

There are two main parts to building this cocktail: whipping the coffee, and stirring the rest of the ingredients with ice.

To whip the coffee, combine the cold brew concentrate together with the sugar and water in a bowl. Use a whisk or an electric mixer to whip it up.

Then, combine the other ingredients in a cocktail stirring glass, or other heavy-bottomed glass, along with ice. Stir to dilute and then strain the mixture into the serving glass.

Then, top the drink off with the coffee foam, and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Hint: don't stir for too long, or you will dilute the drink too much. Stir it around 20-30 times. If you're not sure if it's right, you can put a little drop on the back of your hand and taste it.

Substitutions

If you are looking to cut back on sugar, you can substitute the granulated sugar for another type of sweetener. My choice here is allulose because it has the best, most sugar-like flavor.

The cold brew concentrate can be homemade or store-bought. Just be sure it is actually a concentrate, and has not already been diluted. (If it's a concentrate, it will instruct you to add water to it.) If you don't have it, you can use instant coffee granules, like in a Dalgona coffee recipe.

For the cinnamon and vanilla infusion, if you don't have it on hand you can actually use a little bit of vanilla extract. You don't want to overpower it, so just start with a few drops and see how it tastes. It depends how potent your vanilla extract is flavor-wise.

If you want to substitute the Licor 43, you can swap in any vanilla liqueur. Just be sure to check the proof of the liqueur you want to use, so the drink stays the same alcohol-wise. Licor 43 is 31% ABV.

You can, of course, use your own favorite bourbon. I really like Maker's Mark here because it has a sweeter character and brings warm flavors to the drink.

Equipment

I would personally always go with an electric mixer or whisk if you have access to one. I haven't tried it, but think it would take a really long time to get the consistency you want using a hand whisk (plus my hand would go numb because of my carpal tunnel!)

As for the bar tools, my favorite brand is A Bar Above (the gold color, obviously!) They have amazing quality tools. You can get 10% off on their site with this affiliate link, or by using my code LKDrinks at checkout. Thanks for supporting me and giving me motivation to come up with new recipes!

Garnish

You can garnish this drink by sprinkling cinnamon on top, or putting in a whole cinnamon stick. Serve immediately (before the foam starts to pop!)

📖 Recipe