9 Boozy Iced Coffee Cocktails You Can Make Right Now

Iced coffee + booze = a match made in heaven. 

Our goal was to take iced coffees to the next level using ingredients you likely have lying around in your cupboards. We enlisted the help of the world's most popular spirits—whiskey, vodka, tequila, rum—to make something great for every palate. It was a wild success, and the 9 delicious recipes below are a testament to that. 

The Salted Caramel Coffee Martini

INGREDIENTS:
  • ½ oz Kahlua
  • 1 oz vodka
  • 2 oz coffee (cold or room temperature)
  • Sea salt
  • Caramel sauce
DIRECTIONS:
  • Rim your martini glass with caramel sauce and salt to taste
  • Drizzle a pinch of caramel on the inside of the glass
  • Combine the Kahlua, vodka, and coffee into a shaker with ice
  • Strain and serve in a martini glass

Tasting notes 

You know when someone tastes something really good and makes a dumb face while murmuring "MmmMmmM"? That's what happens when you take your first sip. It's not quite as alcoholic-tasting as the others, which makes it unassuming, but deadly all the same. [See the original recipe]

Coffee RumChata

INGREDIENTS:
  • 3 oz coffee, room temperature
  • 1 oz RumChata
DIRECTIONS:
  • Combine RumChata and coffee in a shaker with ice
  • Shake and strain

Tasting notes 

Spicy but subtle. Crisp and refreshing. The Rumchata Iced Coffee has notes of cinnamon that are sweet (like Mandy Moore in A Walk to Remember), but not too sweet (like Mandy Moore in Entourage). [See the original recipe]

Rum Iced Coffee

INGREDIENTS:
  • 8 oz filter coffee or espresso
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar (or to taste)
  • 4 oz Brugal dark rum
  • 2 cardamom pods, lightly crushed (but powder can substitute)
  • Ice cubes
DIRECTIONS:
  • Prepare coffee or espresso
  • Stir in sugar until melted, allow to cool
  • Combine coffee, rum, cardamom, ice in container with a tight-fitting lid or cocktail shaker
  • Shake for 30 seconds, strain into glasses

Tasting notes

If chai tea and iced coffee had a sweet, mild-mannered baby, this would be it. Potent and savory, it's like sucking down a delicious, spicy liquid cigar. [See the original recipe]
 

Iced Orange Creamsicle

INGREDIENTS:
  • 6 oz iced coffee
  • 4 oz vodka
  • Splash of citrus vodka or orange liqueur
  • Dash orange bitters
  • 2 tbsp simple syrup
  • Heavy cream
DIRECTIONS:
  • Combine all ingredients into a shaker
  • Shake it like a salt shaker or a polaroid picture
  • Strain over glass of ice
  • Garnish with orange

Tasting notes

We fiddled with this recipe a tad, but we're extremely pleased with the results. This is basically an orange dessert. The bitters and orange liqueur highlight the crisp acidity of the coffee, while the cream and syrup give it an overall mellow flavor. [See the original recipe]

Cafe Oh Hey!

INGREDIENTS:
  • 6 oz coffee
  • 1 oz Patron Cafe
  • 1 oz Kahlua
  • 1 oz whipped cream
DIRECTIONS:
  • Pour tequila and Kahlua into a coffee mug
  • Fill with coffee
  • Top with whipped cream
  • Have the best morning, ever

Tasting notes

It's great for a hangover because of the low alcohol content, and good for those awkward Monday mornings around the water-cooler—also because of the low alcohol content. [See the original recipe]

Mocha Margarita

INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 cup chocolate ice cream
  • ⅓ cup prepared espresso
  • ¼ cup Herradura tequila
DIRECTIONS:
  • Combine all ingredients into cocktail shaker
  • Add crushed ice
  • Shake until ice cream is smooth and pourable
  • Serve in a chilled martini glass, margarita glass, or Solo cup

Tasting notes 

The chocolatey flavors may hide the considerable amount of tequila, but they won't mask the fact you're somewhat slurry at 9:30am. Sidenote: This drink is so good, we ended up making a few later in the day. [See the original recipe]

The Jameson Jolt

INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 oz cold brew coffee, chilled
  • 1 oz Jameson
  • 1 oz simple syrup
  • Whipped cream
  • 1 tbsp of cocoa powder
  • Ice cubes
DIRECTIONS:
  • Add cold brew, whiskey, and simple syrup into a mixing glass
  • Fill glass with ice, stir
  • Strain into new glass
  • Top with whipped cream and cocoa powder

Tasting Notes

This is basically a gussied up Irish coffee... and by basically, I mean this is 100% a gussied up Irish coffee. However, the appearance of the finished products alone warrants a sip or 14, and once the cream starts to blend with the coffee, it's game over and you'll finish the whole thing before you even realize it. [See the original recipe]

Dublin Daybreaker

INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 oz cold brew
  • 2 oz Guinness
  • 1 ½ oz Jameson
  • ¾ oz simple syrup
  • ½ oz heavy cream
  • Freshly grated cinnamon stick 
DIRECTIONS:
  • Mix cold brew, whiskey, Guinness, and simple syrup in a highball glass
  • Add ice to fill
  • Slowly pour in cream so it gradually combines with coffee
  • Sprinkle with cinnamon
  • Make four more for everyone in total awe of what you just accomplished

Tasting notes

Seemingly impossible to mess up and loaded with caffeine and booze, you'll want to save this one for the weekends. It's kinda chocolatey, and the added Guinness gives it a nice amount of carbonation. [See the original recipe
 

Dark Moon

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 cups cold brew
  • 1 cup spiced rum
  • 1 cup Kahlua
  • 1 12 oz Coca-cola
  • 1 cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS:
  • Combine coffee, Kahlua, spiced rum, and coke into a big ol’ pitcher
  • Stir coyly, as if you’re up to something mischievous 
  • Pour into glasses filled with ice
  • Add in cream to taste
  • Accept honorary degree in excellence from every Ivy league school for advancements in coffee cocktails

Tasting notes

This tastes like an alcoholic Coke float. Although it won't make you friends, you won't need any after taking one sip and discovering it's what you've been looking for this whole time. It's incredibly delicious, simple to concoct, and looks really, really great served in mason jars. [See original recipe here]

Have a recipe you love? Sound off in the comments. We'd love to try it out.


Alex Robinson and Ali Drucker concocted—and consumed—all of these cocktails in a matter of two hours. The experience was nothing short of euphoric.