Do you love flavored alcoholic drinks? Then, soaking coffee beans in your favorite alcoholic beverage would be the way to go.
Soaking coffee beans in alcohol has been done over the years, and the art is getting perfect by the day.
In this article, you’ll learn how to perfectly infuse your drink with coffee and get to know some of the best drinks that can make a great combination with coffee beans.
Coffee-Infused Whiskey
First, it is important to know that coffee beans vary in shape, color, size, and flavor depending on the country of origin.
So, in this case, the same whiskey can have a different taste with different types of coffee beans used.
Before starting on the adventure of mixing and matching, ensure proper research has been done on the expected result to avoid disappointments.
For instance, the combination of Irish coffee and Irish whiskey gives off a charming flavor as they perfectly complement each other.
Bourbon whiskey is considered the most suitable for soaking beans for it has high notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak.
The preferable consistency is the dark roasts of coffee beans which have low acidity and nutty flavor. They pair naturally with whiskey.
A sufficiently balanced whiskey with fruity notes also combines perfectly with a light to medium coffee roast.
For example, arabica coffee is highly preferred to robusta because it has many fruity components. However, you will have to take time in preparation for you to find what works well.
The best way to soak coffee beans
For first-timers, it is prudent to start with a small portion.
This will help you reduce the risk of the loss incurred if you use the whole bottle of your favorite drink only to later realize that you don’t like the outcome.
The following are the basic steps you can use:
- Pour a little amount of whiskey in a glass, then add your favorite coffee beans in the ratio of 1.5 ounces of whiskey for every 0.25 ounces of your beans.
- Let the coffee beans soak for 24 hours.
- Drain the mixture to obtain the coffee-infused whiskey. Leave the coffee beans to dry and store them well.
- Have a taste of your coffee-infused whiskey! Do you like it? If you do, experiment more.
Remember, the process is not just for whiskey though it makes the best combination.
You can do the same for other types of alcohol as long as they are flavored and the notes match the coffee beans’ notes.
You can repeat the process with the following liqueurs:
Sambuca
This is an Italian colorless liqueur with a unique flavor and can be served alone or added to coffee to make a caffé corretto(espresso corretto) drink that has been part of the Italian tradition over the years.
It is also widely consumed in America. The sambuca’s anise flavor combines perfectly with toasted coffee.
Since it is of Italian origin, a shot of the liqueur with three coffee beans is common as it has a deep cultural representation, that is, good health, prosperity, and happiness.
It’s usually considered an after-meal drink. If you would like to enjoy a liqueur, choose sambuca.
Brandy
This liquor is produced by distilling wine and, in most cases, consumed after dinner. The most common varieties are Armagnac and Cognac, mainly produced in France.
It can be infused with coffee beans to produce apple brandy flavored ground coffee.
It isn’t alcoholic; therefore, it can be drunk by non-alcoholic users who desire the great taste induced after the mixture.
Rum
This distilled drink is made from honey, fermented sugarcane, and molasses. It is sweeter and spicy with an alcoholic content of about 40 percent.
It can be enhanced by coffee beans. Today you can find coffee brands such as the butter rum flavored coffee.
Just like the apple brandy flavored ground coffee, the butter rum flavored coffee does not contain the alcoholic content of the infused drink.
How Can You Infuse Coffee Beans?
Coffee beans are infused by soaking them in alcohol, the same way they are soaked when infusing alcohol.
Normally after soaking and draining coffee beans, they are let to dry and stored away from direct sunlight. They can be reused, either for an infused alcoholic drink or infused cup of coffee.
Infused coffee doesn’t have an alcoholic taste, but the caffeine content has been reduced, and the taste is presumed great by coffee lovers.
Vodka is not flavored, Can You Brew Coffee with it?
Absolutely yes. Coffee-infused Vodka is a common drink enjoyed throughout the world. The taste would definitely be different but enjoyable nonetheless.
This kind of drink is usually not expensive, and the ingredients are easy to find.
However, if you use expensive Vodka and expensive coffee, meaning better quality ingredients, you expect your nurture more.
To enjoy the drink, you can follow the steps below:
- Mix your considerable amount of ground coffee with Vodka in a glass or jar.
- Shake until the coffee is completely mixed in and let it stay for about three days
- Pour it into a French press or use a filter to get rid of the coffee grounds in the mix.
- Enjoy the coffee-infused Vodka and get the feeling.
However, if you don’t have a French press, you don’t need to worry.
This other alternative can work too:
- Put a coffee filter in a wire colander and pour the Vodka and ground coffee mixture through it, taking care not to spill your drink.
- Hold your homemade draining device over a mixing bowl that is large enough for all the liquid from your bottle.
- Slowly pour the liquid to ensure it doesn’t overflow the filter to achieve full separation.
Brewing coffee with Vodka normally tastes better with a dark roast, but you can also try a lighter roast. You can use your coffee-infused Vodka to:
- Make chocolate pudding shots.
- Mix with your hot chocolate.
- Substitute plain Vodka in your White Russian cocktail.
- Substitute plain Vodka in your Mudslide cocktail.
Final thoughts on soaking coffee beans in alcohol
Coffee has long been a common ingredient in cocktails, appearing in anything from Irish Coffee to Espresso Martinis.
Although several of these beverages depend on brewed coffee or espresso for taste and caffeine, an increasing variety of spirits and liqueurs also captured the bean’s aromas and tastes, rendering them ready to blend into cocktails or serve neat alongside a favorite dessert.
To improve the flavor of your favorite liqueur, try soaking them in different coffee beans to achieve a different taste every time. This way, you may land on your favorite taste.