Love coffee? Follow these recipes to add its flavour to your cocktails

As much as India is a tea-loving country, Indians also love coffee and that is evident from how much they enjoy drinking it and have even added it to their food. In fact, over the years, they have gradually also taken it a step further by wanting and aiming to brew their own coffee at home. However, that may be a little far-fetched, especially with all the fuss of going through the effort of grinding their own beans, filtering it, and letting it drip because all they want to do is just enjoy the brew.

Every year, International Coffee Day is observed on October 1 to not only celebrate coffee as a beverage but also promote it far and wide. With the evolution of cuisines over the years, many chefs are also including coffee in their food, just like bartenders and mixologists are taking the liberty to include it in their cocktails that are not only delicious but equally potent.

To celebrate the occasion, mid-day.com reached out to chefs for their favourite cocktail recipes that include coffee. Why celebrate by drinking plain coffee, when you can add it to your coffee? Besides the thrill, bartenders and mixologists actually swear by the brew and the flavour it adds to the cocktail when mixed with different kinds of spirits that include rum, whiskey, vodka and gin too.

Sharabi coffee
Adding coffee to rum is probably the easiest combination to try out if you want to enjoy the flavours of both the ingredients. At Hitchki Resto Bar, beverage manager Cedrik Rodrigues makes a Sharabi Coffee, and is an extension of the popularity of coffee-based drinks, which he says have long been popular. He says, "Some examples are the Irish Coffee, Espresso Martini, Black Russian, and the White Russian. The Sharabi Coffee is inspired by the White Russian. It is made with coffee and condensed milk in place of cream, and dark rum in place of vodka. These ingredients are mixed with ice to create a frothy, caffeinated cocktail."

Ingredients:
Milkmaid 45 ml
Old monk 45 ml
Nescafe Sunrise coffee powder sachets 2 nos
Cocoa Powder 2 gm
Ice 100 gm

Method:
1. Pour the old monk into a shaker
2. Then add the coffee powder, followed by cocoa powder, milk maid and finally ice.
3. Shake well and pour into a half-cut martini glass with some coffee powder garnish, and serve.

Espresso Martini

If you like vodka, then Dobaara's bar mixologist Ramesh Gowda says you can easily make an Espresso Martini. Taking the evolved version of the martini, Gowda says the cocktail was born to cater to the evolving palate of the drinker. He shares, "Coffee is a decoction mixed well as a beverage but is now extensively used in making alcoholic drinks to offer more to the diner's taste buds."

Ingredients:
Vodka 30ml
Kahlua coffee liqueur 30ml
Fresh cream 1 tbsp
Fresh brewed coffee 1 tsp

Method:
1. Take a mixing tin, fill 3/4 of it with ice cubes and add all the ingredients.
2. Shake it well and serve it in a Bandesun goblet glass, or any available glass.

Stay Woke
Are you a whiskey loyalist? Then Dhiresh Poojary, restaurant manager at Jamjar Diner in Bandra says you should definitely make 'Stay Woke'. The cocktail served at their restaurant is a delicious potent mix of coffee, Bourbon whiskey and vermouth. He explains, "We have used coffee in the cocktail because the in-house cold brew gives the cocktail depth and complexity. It also gives one a rounded mouthfeel and stimulates your senses."

Ingredients:
Campari 15 ml
Sweet vermouth 15ml
Bourbon whiskey 30ml

Method:
1. Add all ingredients in a stirring glass over lots of ice.
2. Give a good stir and serve it in a rock glass over block ice. Garnish it with a chocolate tart.

Deja Brew
If you love espresso then take your love for coffee a step further, says Shelton Fernandes, beverage manager at Passcode Hospitality, which runs Saz American Brasserie in Bandra Kurla Complex. He wants you to elevate the classic espresso martini by substituting vodka with rum, and adding some more ingredients to give it a unique flavour. Fernandes shares, "It is our riff on the classic Espresso Martini with a tropical twist of cafe rum, coconut and Amaretto. Espresso is the key ingredient that imparts the coffee flavour, which gives that caffeine kick, while also adding on to the complexity of the drink."

Ingredients:
Segredo Cafe Rum 30 ml
Toasted coconut syrup 15 ml
Smoked Espresso 30 ml
Amaretto 30 ml

Method:
1. Shake and strain all the ingredients in same order.
2. Pour into a coupe glass and garnish with chocolate powder.

Old Fox Martini

There is a lot that one can do with martinis, especially after adding espresso, cream, some vanilla-infused sugar syrup, says Viipul Goswami, bartender at Araiya Palampur. Using coffee that originates from Coorg, and with medium acidity, the cocktail is one of 20 beverages that the team makes at the property. He shares, "The Araiya coffee profile derives a distinctive, balanced combination of liqueur and the coffee aroma has acidity, bitterness and saltiness."

Ingredients:
Martini Rosso 15 ml
Grey goose 30 ml
Bristol cream 15 ml
Espresso 60 ml
Vanilla-infused sugar syrup 15 ml
Araiya coffee froth sweetened 40 ml

Method:
1. Shake all the ingredients together.
2. Pour all the ingredients into a Boston shaker with three ice cubes and shake well.
3. Pour the cocktail in a large martini glass.
4. Prepare the coffee froth and place it over the beverage.

Black Jack
Add some coffee to your Bourbon whiskey, says Rohan Rege, beverage manager at the St Regis Mumbai, and then add some kahlua or cold brewed coffee to the mixture but not without some triple sec, lime juice and velvetier. The Black Jack, Rege informs, is a fresh take on a classic coffee cocktail, and is first credited to sommelier Jacques Straub of Kentucky's Pendennis Club who created it in 1914. "This is a perfect rendition of the original Black Jack recipe, as the bourbon creates this magical balance of sweetness, and thus makes it an ideal nightcap after a long day or a heavy meal," he adds.

Ingredients:
Bourbon whisky 45 ml
Triple sec 15 ml
Kahlua or cold brewed coffee 15 ml
Lime juice 7.5 ml
Velvetier

Method:
1. Shake all the ingredients together with some ice in a shaker.
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass or coupe glass.
3. Garnish with three brandied cherries on a pick.

The Rush
Why limit the use of coffee to cocktails made from rum, whiskey and vodka when you can also mix it with cognac. At JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, beverage manager Mohit Gadgil says the five-star property makes ‘The Rush', which presents many unique flavours that diners will enjoy. He elaborates, "The Cocktail has Cognac, French Eau de vie or popularly called ‘water of life' which imparts flavours of candied fruits and spices along with some sweet vermouth which contributes to some herbaceous notes. The caramel and sweetener balances the taste of coffee, along with some coffee espuma to complete the cocktail, which is light and airy."

Ingredients:
Cognac 30 ml
Sweet vermouth 30 ml
Lime juice 10 ml
Sidr honey syrup 15 ml
Coffee espuma topped up

Method:
1. Mix all ingredients apart from espuma in a shaker and give a hard side piston shake.
2. Pour it in a chilled martini glass.
3. Top it up with three beans of coffee espuma.

Not So Vanilla
With the possibilities of using coffee in cocktails being endless, there are also many different kinds of experiments constantly being done. Giving you another reason to experiment with coffee and spirits, Harish Chhimwal, head mixologist at Olive Group, which handles Monkey Bar, situated in Bandra, suggests making the ‘Not So Vanilla' cocktail. He explains, "The Not So Vanilla cocktail is a twist on the classic Espresso Martini, bursting with flavours of vanilla and the heady aroma of cinnamon."

Ingredients:
Absolut vodka 60 ml
Espresso 1 shot
Vanilla syrup according to preference
Cream according to preference
Cinnamon dust for garnish

Method:
1. Add the vodka, espresso, vanilla syrup and cream to a shaker and shake well.
2. Pour it into a glass and serve chilled.

Parmigiano Espresso Martini
How about you combine coffee with some parmigiano? At Woodside Inn in Mumbai, bar manager Bharat Sharma says you can easily innovate with a classic espresso martini. The martini, which is known to be a morning cocktail that everybody loves. He shares, "Morning cocktails make sense with a dose of caffeine and this espresso martini with a twist of Parmigiano Reggiano foam is the perfect go to drink for any coffee lover."

Ingredients:
Smirnoff vodka 60 ml
KC Roasters Espresso 60 ml
Simple syrup 10 ml
Parmesan foam 60 ml

Method:
1. Add the vodka, espresso and syrup in a glass and shake.
2. Pour it out in a Nick & Nora glass, and garnish with coffee beans.

Breakfast in Belgium
Ever thought about coffee in gin? Zaheen Khatri, brand ambassador at Hoegaarden wants you to think out of the box this time around with Breakfast in Belgium, all for the love of coffee. The coffee is one that uses the Hoegaarden Belgian Original beer, along with some blood orange syrup, along with some demerera sugar, cream, orange zest, and last but not the least, Colombian coffee -- all of which create a unique burst of flavours on the palate. She shares, "On a recent trip to Bruges, I was biking along the beautiful medieval castles - smelling freshly brewed coffee in the air and admiring the bright orange hues of the morning sun. Once back, I decided to craft this decadent concoction to remind me of the memory of basking in Belgium with every sip."

Ingredients:
Hoegaarden Belgian Original Gin 45 ml
Blood orange syrup 15 ml
Demerara sugar syrup 10 ml
Colombian coffee 80 ml
Double cream 10 ml
Grated orange zest garnish

Method:
1. Shake all the ingredients except the cream in a shaker filled with ice.
2. Pour the mixture into a copa glass.
3. Whip the cream and gently float on top.
4. Garnish the drink with a grated orange zest.

Caff-e-ine
At ITC Maratha, Shiv Kumar Gauda, head mixologist at Bombay High is adding more to the cocktail than just coffee with the ‘Caff-e-ine' because he wants to make it a treat. The cocktail has a wide variety of flavours that arise out of the cardamom-infused apple juice, Kudampuli tamarind and the coffee bean-infused rum too. "We chose to incorporate coffee into the Caff-e-ine cocktail to introduce a layer of complexity and depth to the drink. The Panagiri coffee beans provide a bold and robust flavour profile with the soothing cardamom-infused apple juice. This infusion of coffee not only tantalises the taste buds but also adds a touch of sophistication to the cocktail," he adds.

Ingredients:
Panagiri coffee beans espresso 20 ml
Cardamom-infused apple juice 60 ml
Kudampuli tamarind reduction 30 ml
Coffee bean-infused rum 45 ml
Ginger, chopped - 2 to 3 ounces

Method:
1. Take a cocktail shaker, add ginger, and muddle with hot water.
2. Add Panagiri espresso, and add the infused rum.
3. Add the cardamom-infused apple juice.
4. Add kodampuli tamarind.
5. Give it a dry shake.
6. Pour the drink into the crystal glass.
7. Smoke the drink with some apple wood.
8. Garnish it with some dehydrated apple and star anise.

Ratatouille Martini
There are a lot of interesting things going on at 3 Stories, the newly-opened all-day bar in Vile Parle. They not only pair coffee with rum but also add some cheese liqueur to it.

Ingredients:
Dark rum 45 ml
In-house cheese liqueur 15 ml
Coffee 30 ml
Cheese cubes for garnish

Method:
1. Pour the dark rum into a shaker, along with a cheese liqueur, and the coffee.
2. Shake well and pour into a glass