Just take two minutes today to infuse coffee & whiskey into a strong concentrate and you’re ready to go tomorrow morning. Mix in a little brown sugar to take the edge off, pile your glass high with whipped cream, and finish with a dusting of cinnamon – your Saturday will be off to the perfect start.
Going with a whiskey or bourbon you actually like to drink is important here. It’s going in straight, meaning none of the roughness simmers away, and you’ll taste it directly in the cold brew. No need to go top-shelf – we’re infusing it with coffee grounds, after all – but maybe stay away from the spring-break-special.
This is perfect for groups because everyone can easily mix their drink as they like. A teaspoon of sugar is just enough to take the edge off since we’re sipping through sweet whipped cream, but more is more, right?
I’m also a firm believer that the whipped cream should be topped off generously and often.
Making simple syrup isn’t really necessary for one or two drinks but really speeds up the mixing if you have a few friends over. Instead of adding the brown sugar directly, just simmer 1 cup brown sugar with 1 cup water until the sugar dissolves. Let it cool and you’re ready to pour.
Boozy Cold Brew
Ingredients
Boozy Cold Brew
- 2 oz. concentrated whiskey cold brew
- 2 oz. water
- 1 t. brown sugar more to taste
- 4 ice cubes
- dollop whipped cream
- cinnamon for topping
Concentrated Whiskey Cold Brew
- 3 oz. coarsely ground coffee
- 12 oz. whiskey
- coffee filter
Instructions
Boozy Cold Brew
- Combine concentrate, water, brown sugar, and ice and stir or shake well until sugar has dissolved.
- Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.
Concentrated Whiskey Cold Brew
- Combine the coffee grounds and whiskey in a french press or mason jar.
- Stir gently, cover, and set in a cool, dark place for 12-20 hours. The longer it steeps, the stronger the coffee flavor.
- Line a jar with a coffee filter and pour the extract through the filter.
Print Recipe
Bruce says
Delicious and strong! I think bourbon is already a little sweet so i did not add as much sugar as I would to regular cold brew coffee. This is also a refreshing after dinner drink for a warm summer’s night.
Kate says
Glad you liked it! 🙂
Rachael says
Is the 3oz of coffee by weight (quite a lot) or by volume (only 6 Tablespoons)?
Kate says
Hi Rachael, the coffee is measured by weight – and you’re right, it’s quite a lot! Cold brew is usually made with a 1:8 ratio of coffee to water. That would be a lot of whiskey (and your drink would be very strong!) so I’ve doubled it to make a concentrate instead. The concentrate should last for weeks sealed in the refrigerator. Great question, thank you!
Rachael says
I had the cold brew Irish coffee this morning and only deviated from your recipe by using a simple syrup made with demerara sugar. It wasn’t as pretty as your pictures but, they were delicious and everyone drank them so fast I wouldn’t have had time to get my camera out. I was surprised at how much of the whiskey was absorbed by the grounds; it seemed more than the water that is absorbed for regular cold brew. I ended up with enough concentrate to fill a small Ball jelly jar. We jokingly called it the “Juan Valdez share”, like how the spirit that evaporates during aging is called the angel’s share. Anyway, it is a good recipe and I’ll definitely be making it again. Thank you for thinking to post the idea.
Kate says
Wonderful, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Demerara sugar sounds perfect for this drink. I agree that a surprising amount of whiskey is absorbed – what a fitting name! Glad to hear this was a hit, thank you so much for your thoughtful comment.