In case you haven’t heard, Seattle loves its coffee no matter what the form (we know — big shocker). In the spirit of Drink Up Week — and because it’s blazin’ hot out — we wanted to share some refreshing, coffee-based cocktail + mocktail recipes, highlighting local roasts and ingredients. Sip + savor — you deserve a boost.
☕ Caffe Vita Cold Brew Manhattan Mocktail
This non-alcoholic beverage was created by barista championship contender Gray Kauffman, and nails those traditional Manhattan notes.
- 2 oz Caffe Vita cold brew
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 3/4 oz dark cherry juice
- 1/2 oz Pathfinder
- 2 dashes of aromatic bitters
- garnished with a maraschino cherry
Combine ingredients, stir over ice, strain into coupe, and top with a cherry. (For the boozier option, just add about an ounce of rye whiskey.)
☕ Caffe Vita Cold Brew Shandy Mocktail
Natasha Solowoniuk — head of the Caffe Vita’s KEXP cafe — created this easy, breezy recipe that should be perfect for any outdoor picnic.
- 4 oz Vita cold brew (available for sale here)
- 4 oz Lemonade
- a pinch of Rishi Butterfly Pea Powder (available for sale here)
Combine pea flower and lemonade, add to cup with ice, and top with cold brew. For the alcoholic version, just swap out the cold brew with a light beer — perhaps a summery farmhouse ale from Fair Isle Brewing.
☕ Fast Penny Shakerato
Here’s a quick + refreshing caffeinated cocktail from a distillery in Upper Queen Anne that makes its own Amaro.
- 2 oz espresso made from Stamp Act’s Old School roast
- 1 oz Fast Penny’s Amaricano
- Optional orange peel for garnish
Shake all the ingredients with ice, then strain into a double rocks glass. Top with a slice of orange peel — should you feel citrusy.
☕ The Doctor’s Office Spanish Coffee
This drink from Capitol Hill’s medicinally-named cocktail den is influenced by the famous Spanish Coffee from Huber’s in Portland, with a local twist.
- 4 oz cold brew using Boon Boona coffee
- 2 oz 15-year Torres brandy
- 1/2 oz Lustau Amontillado sherry
- 1/4 oz Lustau PX sherry
- 1/4 oz Magdala orange liqueur
Combine all the ingredients in a pot and heat until warm, though take it off the stove before it simmers so you don’t cook off the booze.
BONUS TOPPING: Salted Benedictine Whipped Cream
A little extra sweetness is meant to be paired with The Doctor’s Office drink, although topping can really go with any coffee-based cocktail or mocktail.
- 3 oz heavy cream (try one from Washington’s Twin Brook creamery)
- 1/4 oz demerara syrup
- 1/4 oz benedictine
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (TDO uses Nielsen Massey Madagascar vanilla extract)
Have your own coffee concoction you wanna try? Use this map to check out some of the great cafes + small roasters around town to exercise that palate, while stocking up on beans for mixology experimentation.
Several are also part of our week-long special extravaganza with Intentionalist, supporting local food banks. Also, don’t forget about one of this week’s special at Post Pike — the Mochatini, made with fresh-pulled Fiorita espresso from Vashon Island, Pursuit cold brew whiskey from Enumclaw, crème de cacao + Scrappys chocolate bitters.
Our cups runneth over.
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