If you already have cold brew, skip this. Combine 0.5 cup coarsely ground coffee with 4 cups cold water in a large jar or pitcher. Stir gently to saturate grounds, cover, and steep in the refrigerator or at room temperature for 12–18 hours. Strain through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a paper filter to yield about 1–1.5 cups of cold brew concentrate. Dilute with a little water if desired — for this recipe you need 1 ounce of prepared cold brew concentrate.

Cocktail

Chill glass

Place a martini or coupe glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes, or fill with ice water while you prepare the cocktail to get it nicely chilled.

Mix the cocktail

In a cocktail shaker, add 1 cup ice, 2 oz vodka, 1 oz coffee liqueur, 0.5 oz simple syrup, and 1 oz cold brew. The ice in the shaker should be sufficient to both chill and dilute the drink slightly.

Shake

Secure the shaker lid and shake vigorously for 15–20 seconds until the outside of the shaker feels very cold and a good frothy head forms from the cold brew.

Strain

Dump the ice from the chilled glass (or remove from freezer). Double-strain the cocktail into the chilled martini or coupe glass using a cocktail strainer and a fine mesh strainer to remove any tiny ice shards and create a smooth surface.

Garnish & Finish

Garnish

Float 3 coffee beans on the frothy surface. If desired, lightly grate 0.25 tsp of nutmeg or dust a small pinch of cocoa powder over the top for aroma and visual contrast.

Serve immediately while chilled. Tasting note: the balance should be slightly sweet with pronounced coffee character and a silky mouthfeel. Adjust the simple syrup by ±0.25 oz in future batches to taste.