Fans of tequila, Scotch whisky or Irish coffee will smack their lips when you serve them a warm, mezcal-spiked Oaxacan coffee.
The first time I sipped mezcal, I was hooked. I adore smoky foods, from cheddar cheese to Scotch whisky, so I felt right at home with mezcal. It quickly became one of my favorite alcohols to sip neat and mix into drinks, from mezcal margaritas to Oaxacan coffee cocktails—a riff on Irish coffee that’ll provide you with a kick of caffeine in the evening (and a buzz to boot).
To create the right balance for this smoky drink, use a joven (young) mezcal and freshly ground, medium-roast Mexican coffee to let the agave flavors shine through. A little sweetness and a dash of chocolate bitters round out this simple cocktail, which benefits from a dollop of freshly whipped cream when served hot like Irish coffee.
Ingredients for Oaxacan Coffee
- Coffee: When choosing the type of coffee to use in a cocktail, it’s more important to select one for its flavor and aroma than the amount of caffeine it has. Simply put, choose a brew that won’t overpower the mezcal. A medium roast—made with beans grown in Mexico if you want to stick with flavors from the region—hits the sweet spot. It’s less acidic than light roast and less likely to mask the mezcal than a dark roast. Grind and brew the beans just before you make the cocktail for the freshest flavor.
- Simple syrup: Simple syrup is a secret cocktail ingredient—just sugar dissolved in water—that you’ll want to keep on hand. Instead of using granulated sugar, you’ll use brown sugar because the molasses plays well with mezcal and coffee. Make it like you would any simple syrup: Heat equal parts brown sugar and water and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Mezcal: Like tequila, mezcal ranges from young to heavily aged, with prices typically rising accordingly. American stores have expanded their mezcal selections in recent years, but you’ll still find fewer options when compared to tequila. Choose a bottle marked “joven” as your starting point, and then experiment with other brands and variations from there.
- Mole bitters: Mole bitters infuse high-proof alcohol with cacao nibs, chili and spices. Just a couple of drops have a big impact on this Oaxacan coffee cocktail. Look for mole bitters in a specialty food shop or well-stocked liquor store. If you can only find chocolate bitters, dice a dried ancho chile pepper, add it to the jar and infuse the bitters for a couple of days.
- Whipped cream: Homemade sweetened whipped cream works better than store-bought whipped topping because you can stop beating before it becomes stiff. To play up this cocktail’s other flavors, beat 1 tablespoon of brown sugar simple syrup into 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream until it’s light and airy.
- Cinnamon: Any ground cinnamon garnish will immediately hit your tongue with rich spiciness,