Your Cocktails Are Begging For Coffee-Infused Vodka. Here's How To Make It

You're probably familiar with coffee cocktails. After all, you'll have a hard time finding bars without espresso martini on offer, and even many local diners are now menuing Irish Coffee (yes, it's a cocktail) for breakfast. The combo of spirits and the kick-in-the-chest boldness of freshly brewed coffee mixed together just seems to hit the spot. Best part is, their relative simplicity has made them super popular with at-home mixologists, and if you consider yourself part of this group, here's a "secret" ingredient you need to add to your next coffee cocktail: coffee-infused vodka.

It's exactly what it sounds like: vodka that has been steeped in coffee beans until they soak up all the flavor and aroma. The result is a spirit that tastes strongly of roasted coffee, with hints of chocolate, and a subtle sweetness that's perfectly balanced by vodka's signature smoothness. They're perfect if you want the most authentic coffee flavor possible (in contrast to coffee liqueurs like Kahlúa, which tends to be syrupy sweet).

All you need to do is crush whole coffee beans into pieces, then gather them all in a mason jar. Top up the jar with a decent vodka, give it a good shake, and let it hang for about two days. Give it a shake every now and then to speed the infusion along. Once ready, strain out the coffee using a coffee filter, and boom — your very own coffee-infused vodka!

We can't think of a better (and simpler) way to put this infusion to the test than adding a splash of it into your morning coffee for an Irish Coffee with more Eastern European flair. Sure, it won't have all those complex whiskey flavors, but if you're someone who lives for both great coffee and cocktails, trust us, you're going to dig this combo.

Love the flavor? There's so much more fun you can have working with this brand-new ingredient. Switch up your go-to White Russian recipe by using the coffee-infused vodka as the alcohol base instead of the regular stuff. This twist will add an extra layer of coffee richness to the already creamy, sweet blend of heavy cream and Kahlúa.

And here's a third and most exciting idea: give the legendary vodka martini a caffeinated spin. Shake (with ice) the coffee-infused vodka together with dry vermouth, then strain it into a glass. This version very closely resembles a classic espresso martini which combines vodka with fresh espresso for the flavor. But while it'll give you that bold, in-your-face coffee flavor, our infused version makes for a smoother, more mellow blend that packs a stronger punch since you're not diluting it with brewed coffee. So if you've always wanted an espresso martini with a bit more muscle to it — you know which way to go!