When was the last time you mixed coffee and tonic water? What about coffee and Campari, vodka, or lemon juice? Sounds weird, we know, but hear us out.

Your standard cup of coffee is great, but there’s not much you can do with to switch it up – cutting it with other liquids tends to water down the flavor too much, and even if it didn't, more intense roasts can be hard to effectively pair with anything else. Cold brew, on the other hand, is ripe for experimentation.

That's because of how the stuff is made: it's usually brewed into a concentrate that needs to be cut with something else (usually water or milk) to get to a reasonable strength. And since cold brew is made with cold water, and cold water doesn’t extract astringent acids and bitterness compounds as effectively as hot water, the resulting coffee is smoother, more approachable, and harmonizes better with unconventional ingredients.

I worked at a specialty coffee shop for three years and saw my industry evolve and innovate when cold brew really started to really take off in popularity. So once I became the manager, I knew what first big project would be: launching the first cold brew cocktail menu in my city. We called it The Barista Collection, and it featured a small variety of creative drinks my staff came up with on their own. It captured the attention of customers and the affection of those willing to branch out and try something new.

This list is built in that spirit. Some come from the coffee shop I formerly managed, some come from other cafes across the country, and some were created in cocktail bars. No matter the origin, they’re all delicious.

Pro Tips

First, all coffee varieties are different. No two are grown, processed, shipped, and roasted the exact same way, so keep in mind that different coffees may produce different results, flavor-wise. A natural processed Ethiopian blend, for example, may have a wild and fruity flavor with a gentle acidity and rich aroma. Meanwhile, a washed process El Salvador may find itself more in the caramel and chocolate flavor range with a crisper acid kick. Some of the drinks below won’t jive with both ends of the coffee flavor spectrum, so if something doesn’t taste quite right but you’re sure you followed the recipe, you may want to try a coffee with a different flavor profile next time.

Second, to make cold brew coffee drinks where all the ingredients find harmony, you’ll want no less than world-class coffee. This means coffee that’s been roasted by a reputable source in the last two or three weeks. This means you grind that precious coffee right before you brew it.

And lastly, not all cold brew is made to the same strength. The recipes below assume that your concentrate is brewed to 2 to 3 times strength – that means to make a simple, balanced glass of iced coffee, you would cut the concentrate with 2 to 3 times as much water. If your concentrate is brewed at a different strength, just adjust to taste.

Iced Coffee

Cold brew
Cold water, milk, or cream, to taste
Ice

Let’s get the most obvious one out of the way first: a refreshing glass of iced coffee. It's a simple, easy, smooth alternative to a standard cup of drip coffee when for when the mercury starts to rise. If you’d like to add a hint of deep sweetness, throw a dark chocolate square in the glass and give it a stir.

Hot/Cold Coffee

2 oz cold brew
4-6 oz boiling water
Cream or milk, to taste

I realize we’re talking about cold brew coffee, but the concentrate can be cut with boiling water to produce hot cold brew coffee. It's counterintuitive, I know, but making hot coffee this way produces a particularly smooth and unique cup. Since you use the smoothly-flavored cold brew concentrate, it doesn’t have the sharpness that your standard hot coffee does. I was skeptical of it myself before I tried it, but trust me: it's good stuff.

Cold Brew Martini

1 oz cold brew
1 oz coffee liqueur
1 oz vodka
½ tsp sugar

The espresso martini is somewhat common in cocktail joints, but its cold brew cousin is way more accessible for home bartending, and maybe more delicious. This cold brew variation has less tang and is smoother than the original.

To make this one, combine the cold brew concentrate, coffee liqueur, sugar, and vodka into a tin with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass and marvel at the thin, creamy foam that forms at the surface of the drink. Garnish with three whole coffee beans. A deeper, more chocolatey coffee is going to thrive more than a light and fruity one in this drink.

Cold Brew Sour

2 oz cold brew
1 oz simple syrup
1 oz bourbon (optional)
Juice of ½ lemon
Ice

An original from the Barista Collection during my time at Yellow House Coffee in Lubbock, Texas, this drink thrives with and without booze. Just stir together the ingredients with some ice, then strain into an Old Fashioned glass. If you're feeling fancy, you can top with a lemon wedge or peel garnish.

Cold Brew Soda

2 oz cold brew
8 oz soda water
1 oz simple syrup
Ice

Here's an easy way to get your bubbly, syrupy fix without going overboard. Mix together cold brew, the bubbly water of your choice (Topo Chico is my usual pick), and you're there. Or, if you’re feeling creative, you can swap the soda water for tonic, drop a few dark chocolate squares in there, or slice up a peach for garnish, top with cream… the possibilities for this one are endless.

Cold Brew Negroni

1.5 oz cold brew
1 oz Campari
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 oz gin (optional)

This one hails from Vespr Coffeebar in Orlando, Florida. Set the gin aside (or, hell, leave it in) and pull out the cold brew coffee for this Negroni recipe. The orange and cherry sweetness and cinnamon notes of Campari pair surprisingly well with roasty coffee – just stir over ice, then strain into a nice glass and top with an orange peel garnish.

Cold Fashioned

2 oz cold brew
½ oz simple syrup
Dash of orange bitters
Ice

Hailing from Portland's Cup & Bar, this one is created with the quintessential Old Fashioned in mind. Rich, balanced, and sophisticated. Simply stir with ice, then strain into an Old Fashioned glass over a larger cube and, optionally, garnish with an orange peel.

Unconventional Cold Brew Creations You Should Try