Spring finally showed up, and Boston was ready to party again. Those first few warm weekends feel extra special this year. At DRINKTHAT, customers buying our bottled espresso martinis started asking us the same question: “Got any lighter coffee cocktails for spring?” Fair point. Nobody wants a rich, heavy drink when it’s 65 degrees outside. The thing is, coffee cocktails don’t have to be winter-only affairs. We’ve spent the last few years perfecting our signature espresso martini, but we’ve also learned much about what makes coffee and alcohol work together in warmer weather. Our team keeps testing new recipes inspired by our bottled classic, and we’ve discovered some fantastic springtime variations. Here’s what we’ve learned works best for spring gatherings.
Cold Brew Spritzers for Day Drinking
Winter is all about decadent coffee cocktails. Spring needs something you can drink before sunset without needing a nap. If you love our bottled espresso martinis but want something lighter, try making cold brew spritzers at home using our product as inspiration.
Start with a good cold brew (medium roast works better than dark for spring drinks). Add a little simple syrup, a splash of something fruity (cherry syrup is surprisingly good), and a lemon wedge, and top with soda water. The bubbles will wake your mouth, while the coffee keeps your brain in the game.
Want to make these for friends? Mix up a big batch of the coffee base, then let people add their booze. Vodka (like in our espresso martinis) disappears into it, and bourbon makes it more prosperous. Someone even tried it with tequila at our last tasting event, and it wasn’t terrible. These look fancy in tall glasses with some fresh fruit thrown in, but they’re easy to make in batches.
Coffee Sours That Work
I’ll be honest—the first time someone suggested adding lemon juice to coffee, I thought they were crazy. But after trying craft coffee shops’ lemon-coffee combos, we became believers. It turns out that coffee sours are mind-blowingly good when done right.
For a refreshing spring version of our classic espresso martini, try this simple coffee sour: cold brew concentrate (about 2 oz), fresh lemon juice (¾ oz), simple syrup (½ oz), and vodka. Shake the hell out of it with ice and strain it into whatever glass you’ve got. The lemon brightness cuts through the coffee’s bitter edge, making something new.
The fancy version that’s been a hit at our tasting events is a coffee spin on a New York Sour—float some red wine on top of a coffee whiskey sour. It looks impressive as the wine makes a sunset layer on top, and people always ask how we did it. Just pour the wine slowly over a spoon turned upside down. It works every time.
Herb Garden Coffee (Yes, Really)
Spring herb gardens offer striking flavor combinations for coffee cocktails. While our bottled espresso martini has a clean coffee taste, these herb-infused variations bring seasonal freshness to your gathering.
Mint is the obvious one—muddle it gently, add cold brew, a touch of honey, and gin, and top with tonic water, and you’ve got something that’ll wake you up in every way possible. But don’t sleep on basil or rosemary, either. Fresh basil with coffee and a little vanilla syrup tastes like nothing else.
These herbal coffee tonics hit differently when you’re sitting outside. Smelling the herbs before you taste the coffee connects you to the season. They’re perfect for those “it’s 4pm but I still need caffeine and maybe a little alcohol too” moments. Keep a bottle of our espresso martini in the fridge as your base, then experiment with adding fresh herbs from your garden.
Fruit + Coffee = Not Crazy
Coffee and fruit shouldn’t make sense, but they do. The natural sweetness of spring fruits brings out the chocolate notes hiding in coffee. While our bottled espresso martini is perfect, these fruity variations make for fun spring experimentation.
Try this strawberry coffee cooler: cold brew, strawberry puree (real berries, not syrup), a splash of half-and-half, and vodka over crushed ice. It’s like a boozy milkshake for grown-ups. We sampled this at a food festival last year and couldn’t believe how well it worked.
A pineapple coffee rum cocktail combines cold brew, muddled fresh pineapple, mint, and aged rum for people who want to feel more tropical. You have both when you can’t decide between a mojito and a coffee drink. These fruity coffee drinks are perfect when you’ve got friends who aren’t coffee nerds – they’re approachable enough for anyone but still enjoyable for coffee people.
Find DRINKTHAT Bottled Espresso Martinis Near You
Are you inspired to try some spring coffee cocktails? Start with DRINKTHAT’s bottled espresso martinis as your foundation or inspiration. Our perfectly balanced coffee cocktail saves you the trouble of measuring and mixing the base so you can focus on adding those fresh spring touches.
Our premium bottled espresso martinis are available at select retailers throughout the Boston area and beyond. We don’t sell directly to consumers, but our store locator makes it easy to find the nearest shop carrying our products. Just visit drinkthat.com/find to locate a retailer near you.
Many of our retail partners also host seasonal tasting events where we showcase creative ways to enjoy our espresso martinis during different seasons. These events offer the perfect opportunity to sample variations like the ones mentioned in this blog and pick up a bottle to experiment with at home.
After years of perfecting our bottled espresso martini, we’re proud to help inspire your spring gatherings with a coffee cocktail that’s versatile enough to adapt to any season. Check our website for the closest retailer and turn your spring get-together into something special with coffee cocktails that surprise and refresh your guests.
