We all work hard, and thanks to the progressive activists of past generations, we have the Labor Day holiday, which allows us to punch out for an extended weekend to do a little traveling or enjoy a staycation with friends and relatives. In celebration of the latter, I decided to bookend my summer Java Journal blog posts with round two of buzzing up your patio party with coffee drinks. Here are a few more of my quick go-to coffee drink recipes that come together easily and do not require any unusual or pricey ingredients.
Irish Coffee Granita (serves 4)
I stumbled across this recipe a few years ago while researching St. Patrick’s Day brunch drinks, and I’ve tweaked it a bit over the years. A granita is a partially frozen treat that originated in Italy; think shaved ice. This particular recipe mixes strong coffee and whiskey into a slushy, boozy delight, so what’s not to love? It’s also easy to make, but just plan accordingly because the mixture has to freeze for a couple of hours.
1 pint of strong brewed coffee
¼ cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup of your favorite Irish whiskey
1 tablespoon Baileys Irish Cream
Put a shallow baking dish in the freezer to chill. In a bowl, stir coffee and brown sugar together. Stir in whiskey and Baileys. Pour the coffee mixture into the chilled baking dish, cover with foil wrap and place in the freezer. After two hours or until mixture appears icy, take a fork and scrape the frozen crystals to make fluffy shaved iced. Spoon into coffee cups or decorative glasses and serve.
This simple recipe comes courtesy of Jelly Toast, one of several D.I.Y. living/foodie/homestead sites I consult from time to time. Some local roasters sell excellent cold brew coffee bottled and ready to go. See my last Java Journal blog for more info about cold brew, or if you’d like to try making it yourself, Emily from Jelly Toast has instructions here.
Iced Coffee Cocktail (serves 1)
4 ounces cold brew coffee (homemade or store-bought)
1 1/2 ounces flavored vodka (vanilla or caramel)
1 tablespoon heavy cream
Fill a glass with ice and add coffee, vodka and cream. Stir and enjoy.
As part drink, part dessert, a coffee milkshake can be made with or without alcohol. It also lends itself to experimentation. Here is a basic recipe, followed by some suggestions to jazz it up.
Coffee Milkshake (serves 2)
4 ounces strong brewed coffee, chilled
8 ounces cold milk
4 shots espresso
6 scoops vanilla ice cream
Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Add a little more milk if you desire a thinner shake.
- This can be made vegan by using coconut or almond milk (I’d avoid soy milk, as I’ve found it adds an aftertaste) and dairy-free ice cream. For an adult version, substitute half of the milk with 4 ounces of cream liqueur such as Rumchata or Milk & Honey. You can also add an extra pop of flavor by adding a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, or 1 tablespoon of malted milk powder, or 1 teaspoon cinnamon. The sky’s the limit with what you can add to a milkshake, so be creative!
Do you have any favorite warm weather coffee drinks? If so, please share.
