Adding Coffee Cocktails to Your Coffee Shop Menu

Adding specialty coffee cocktails to your menu could help you grow your client base and increase their overall coffee consumption at the same time. Here’s why there’s never been a better time to consider adding coffee cocktails to your menu, and what you need to consider when doing so.

Attract new audiences

Integrating coffee cocktails into your coffee shop’s current offerings could help you secure new audiences. According to UK market research firm Mintel, combining what’s typically a bar offering with a coffee shop offering gives customers the best of both worlds, helping you maintain and grow your late-night audience and transition your services from day to night.

Offering cocktails could offer a financial boost by increasing the overall consumption of coffee. Considering that the demand for coffee is highest in the morning and continues to drop throughout the day, offering it in the evening could further boost consumption. And as this might require you to remain open past standard operating hours, you’ll extend your sales times too.

Create your own offering

Any coffee cocktails you add to your menu will need to appeal to your customers and make the most of your coffee. It’s important that you understand what kinds of coffee/cocktails /flavours that your customers like and what your ingredients taste like and bring to the drink. In doing so, you’ll be best placed to create a drink which meets their needs.

Coffee is versatile and depending on what variety or origin of bean you’re using, how you’re roasting it, and its profile, you’ll need to consider adding different flavours and ingredients. For example, try pairing a medium roast, naturally processed coffee with a high flavour intensity spirit – for example, dark rum.

If making a new creation doesn’t appeal to you, sticking to offering tried and tested classics is an option. Here’s some classic coffee cocktail recipes to consider:

Espresso Martini

Ingredients

For the sugar syrup

100g golden caster sugar

For the cocktail

• ice
• 100ml vodka
• 50ml freshly brewed espresso coffee
• 50ml coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua)
• 3 coffee beans (optional)

Method

Start by making the sugar syrup. Put the caster sugar in a small pan over a medium heat and pour in 50ml water. Stir, and bring to the boil.

Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool. Put 2 martini glasses in the fridge to chill.

Once the sugar syrup is cold, pour 1 tbsp into a cocktail shaker along with a handful of ice, the vodka, espresso and coffee liqueur. Shake until the outside of the cocktail shaker feels icy cold.

Strain into the chilled glasses. Garnish each one with coffee beans if you like.

Dark & Stormy

Ingredients

• 25ml dark rum
• 25ml tequila
• ice
• ginger beer
• 2 tbsp freshly brewed espresso

Method

Fill a highball glass with ice and pour in the rum and tequila. Stir then top with ginger beer. Slowly pour in the espresso.