The 4 Bottles Behind This Season’s Best Coffee Cocktails
Coffee cocktails are having a moment — and you don’t need to have a complicated or professional bar setup to enjoy them at home.
For National Coffee Day, I’m sharing the four bottles I keep on my bar when I want to make coffee cocktails that feel special, but are still completely approachable. Think rich and almond-kissed, smooth and coffee-forward, bittersweet and refreshing or warm and spiced.
The best part? Each bottle brings something completely different to the glass.
Here are the four versatile spirits to have on hand — plus the trending coffee cocktails that I love to make with them.
Prefer it as one printable guide? Download the free Coffee Cocktails Recipe Guide here — all four recipes in one place.
1. Disaronno Originale: Bring a Little Italian Flair to Coffee Cocktails
First up: a taste of Italy with a story that goes back 500 years.
Disaronno Originale has a history dating back to 1525 and is enjoyed in more than 160 countries. It’s known for its smooth, almond-kissed flavor and rich aroma — and that unmistakable square bottle is instantly recognizable.
It’s also one of those bottles that earns its place on your bar because it’s so easy to use. Pour it over ice, make a Disaronno Sour or Spritz, or pair that naturally sweet almond flavor with coffee.
For National Coffee Day, I’m turning it into a Coffee Amaretto Sour.
Coffee Amaretto Sour
Ingredients
- 1½ oz. Disaronno Originale
- ¾ oz. Sagamore Small Batch Rye
- ¾ oz. lemon juice
- ½ oz. simple syrup
- 1 oz. espresso
- 1 egg white, optional
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- Coffee beans, for garnish
Directions
Add the Disaronno, rye, lemon juice, simple syrup, espresso, egg white and bitters to a cocktail shaker without ice.
Shake vigorously for 10–15 seconds to build the foam.
Add a handful of ice and shake hard again for another 15 seconds, until thoroughly chilled.
Fine-strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
Top the foamy layer with a few whole coffee beans.
At-home tip: The egg white is optional, but if you want that beautiful foamy top, it’s worth adding. The dry shake first is what helps build the texture.
2. Tia Maria Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur: The Espresso Martini Essential Coffee Cocktail
Next up: the coffee liqueur with serious cocktail history.
Tia Maria Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur has been a coffee cocktail icon since 1950 and played an integral role in the creation of the first Espresso Martini recipe in 1983.
Made with 100% Arabica coffee beans sourced from Brazil, Tia Maria uses a patented roasting method and cold brew extraction process. The result is smooth and balanced, with an enticing coffee aroma and notes of chocolate and pipe tobacco.
It’s delicious neat or over ice, but this is the bottle I want when an Espresso Martini is on the menu.
Tia Maria Espresso Martini
Ingredients
- ¾ oz. Tia Maria Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
- ¾ oz. vodka
- 1 double or single shot of espresso
- Ice
- Coffee beans, optional, for garnish
Directions
Add Tia Maria, vodka and espresso to a shaker filled with ice.
Shake until well chilled.
Strain into a chilled martini glass.
Garnish with coffee beans, if desired.
At-home tip: Don’t overthink it. A really cold shake and a chilled glass go a long way toward giving you that polished cocktail-bar feel at home.
3. Averna Amaro: Your After-Dinner Coffee Cocktail, Reimagined
If your ideal evening involves lingering at the table a little longer, Averna brings an entirely different mood to coffee cocktails.
Averna is an authentic Sicilian amaro made with the same recipe since 1868. Its blend of natural citrus and Mediterranean herbs creates a smooth, bittersweet flavor with notes of bitter orange and licorice.
Traditionally, it’s enjoyed neat or over ice with an orange twist as part of the Italian after-dinner ritual — a chance to slow down, extend the conversation and savor the moment.
For National Coffee Day, we’re giving that ritual a fresh twist with the Averna Cafe Tonic.
Averna Cafe Tonic
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Averna Amaro
- 2 oz. cold brew coffee
- 2 oz. tonic water
- Fresh mint, for garnish
- Crushed ice
Directions
Fill a chilled Collins or highball glass with crushed ice.
Add Averna and cold brew coffee.
Stir to combine.
Top with chilled tonic water, adding more crushed ice if needed.
Garnish with fresh mint.
At-home tip: This is the easy one to reach for when you want a coffee cocktail that’s refreshing rather than heavy. The tonic gives it a bright, lively finish.
4. Sagamore Small Batch Rye: Bring the Warmth to Your Coffee Cocktail
And finally, we’re ending on a warm note.
Sagamore Small Batch Rye is an award-winning rye from Baltimore, rooted in the modern expression of Maryland-style rye. It balances bold rye spice with a softer, richer character.
You’ll find notes of vanilla, honey, caramel, warm baking spice and golden delicious apple — flavors that make it a natural partner for coffee. The whiskey brings warmth and depth, while the coffee brings out the rye’s sweeter notes.
For that combination, the Revolver is a standout.
Revolver
Ingredients
- 2 oz. Sagamore Small Batch Rye
- ½ oz. Tia Maria Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- Orange peel, for garnish
- Ice
Directions
Chill a coupe or rocks glass.
Combine the rye whiskey, coffee liqueur and orange bitters in a mixing glass with ice.
Stir well for about 20–30 seconds, until thoroughly chilled.
Strain into the chilled glass, either up or over a large ice cube.
Express the oils from an orange peel over the drink and use it as the garnish.
At-home tip: This is a great example of why you don’t need a long ingredient list for a sophisticated cocktail. Rye, coffee liqueur and orange bitters do the work.
Four Bottles. Four Completely Different Coffee Cocktails.
The beauty of coffee cocktails is that there’s no single way to make them.
Disaronno brings its signature almond flavor to a rich Coffee Amaretto Sour. Tia Maria brings rich coffee character to the classic Espresso Martini. Averna adds a bittersweet Sicilian twist to cold brew and tonic. And Sagamore Small Batch Rye brings warmth and spice to the coffee-forward Revolver.
Four spirits. Four completely different cocktails.
And when you want them all in one place, grab the printable guide with all four recipes here.
So this National Coffee Day, stock your bar, invite some friends over and turn your coffee ritual into cocktail hour. Enjoy!
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