This recipe is meant for people over 21 years old. Please drink responsibly.
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Table of Contents
❤️ Why you'll love it
- One of the easiest cocktail recipes—just shake it up and enjoy
- Sweet, creamy flavor refreshes your taste buds on a hot day
- The perfect cocktail for brunch and a yummy after-dinner drink, too
This creamy Brazillian iced coffee cocktail with rum is the perfect drink when you're craving smooth, strong coffee and just the right amount of sweetness.
It's super quick to whip up whenever you're in the mood—after all, there's nothing like relaxing with a cocktail on the weekend.
How to make iced coffee
The best way to make iced coffee is to get some old fashioned ice cube trays and fill them with coffee to make coffee ice cubes.
Then, when you want to make iced coffee just fill a heatproof container with the coffee ice, add hot coffee and in a few minutes you'll have your iced coffee and can proceed with the recipe.
Don't use glass for this because it could shatter.
Since we're making this with espresso it doesn't take much ice to chill it right down.
If you don't have espresso go ahead and make your regular coffee but double strength. Or just start with a good cold brew.
How to make cold brew coffee
Want to know how to make cold brew coffee so you can have a batch ready to go anytime you want one of these Brazilian Iced Coffees?
SO amazingly simple.
- You'll want a quart of water to about ¾ cup coarsely ground coffee - the coarser the better.
- Stir the ground coffee into the water.
- Cover and let sit at room temperature for 24 hours.
- Strain the mixture through a filter into a clean jar or pitcher.
- If you have a French Press you can do the whole thing right in your press.
- You are now ready to make any kind of iced coffee drink you want. You should really start with this one, though!
🥫 Storage
Like most coffee cocktails, this boozy drink is best enjoyed as soon as you pour it from your cocktail shaker. Trust me—you won't have any leftovers.
However, you can prep a big batch of Brazillian iced coffee cocktails in advance of a family brunch or holiday get-together. It's great on St. Patrick's Day and the 4th of July!
To do so, scale the recipe accordingly. Then, combine everything very well in a pitcher—except the coffee ice cubes and rim garnish, of course.
Keep it in the fridge and enjoy it within six hours. For the best results, I recommend shaking it up again with the coffee ice cubes as you serve it.
📖 Variations
This Brazillian iced coffee cocktail has the perfect blend of flavor and texture that you only get from using two types of rum, espresso, and sweetened condensed milk.
However, if you need to make some swaps, here's what you can use:
- Don't have an espresso maker? No worries! Use cold-brew espresso from the grocery store, or swing by your local coffee shop!
- Make it a mocktail by swapping out the rums for more espresso or some cold brew coffee.
- Need it dairy-free? Use coconut milk in place of sweetened condensed. You'll need to add more sweetener, like sugar or simple syrup, though.
- Don't like coconut? You can get away with using white rum in its place, but you'll lose some sweet, nutty flavor that makes this cocktail so good. If you have any Orgeat or demerara syrup on hand, you can add a few drops of that in addition to the white rum to make up for the loss!
- Make a boozy holiday cold brew cocktail by swapping the coconut rum with creme de menthe—it's minty! Add a mini candy cane to each glass.
- Garnish your cocktail with some whipped cream and chocolate shavings or espresso dust for a fancy finish! You can also swap the espresso in the rim garnish for coarse sugar crystals.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: I like to keep two ice cube trays in my freezer at all times. One for regular ice, and one for coffee! Whenever we have a little bit of leftovers in the coffee pot after everyone's had their caffeine fix for the day, I'll pour it into the tray—we always have coffee ice cubes on hand!
- Shaking the cocktail with ice cools it down, but also emulsifies the ingredients properly and even improves the creamy texture! Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds for best results.
- Be sure to let hot coffee cool to room temperature before freezing it into cubes. This way, you won't accidentally thaw anything in the freezer!
- If you don't have a coffee grinder, use a mortar and pestle to crush the coffee beans. A few pulses in a food processor will also do the trick!
- A lowball glass works great for serving this Brazillian iced coffee cocktail. They're the same type of glasses you'd use for a white Russian or old-fashioned. Even a short dinner glass will do just fine.
👩🍳 FAQs
Coffee ice cubes are a fun way to chill your drink without watering it down. I recommend using them instead of regular ice. They'll keep your cold coffee cocktail creamy and flavorful 'til the last sip!
While I can't stop you from using a glass of your choosing, I don't recommend either. Collins glasses are better for lighter, spritzer-type drinks with lots of ice dilution. And, unlike an espresso martini, this Brazillian iced coffee cocktail has ice, so it would be awkward and messy to drink from a delicate martini glass.
Irish coffee is one of the most famous alcoholic coffee drinks. It's simply made from hot coffee and Irish whiskey (not to be confused with a coffee liqueur, like Kahlua). Our delicious Brazillian iced coffee cocktail is made from chilled espresso, rum, and sweetened condensed milk, all shaken together and served over coffee ice.
I don't recommend it, since instant coffee is weaker than espresso. It'll throw off the balance of the delicious flavors! If you have some instant coffee to use, you can make the coffee ice cubes out of it.
📚 Related recipes
- Mudslide Cocktails taste just like summer s'mores but with a boozy upgrade. They're cool, creamy, and the ultimate campfire cocktail!
- Warm and spiced, Spiked Mexican Hot Chocolate has rum and coconut vodka for cozy flavors that you'll crave no matter the time of year!
- If you're not a fan of iced coffee, try Bailey's Irish Temper, a hot Irish coffee cocktail! The spiced rum makes it so satisfying and easy to sip!
- These Irish Cream Hot Chocolate Bombs are a tasty twist on a popular trend. Plus, they're super fun on a dessert table at adults-only parties!
- Need a treat for no-alcohol drinkers? This delicious Copycat Salted Caramel Brulee Latte is amazing.
🍽️ Serve with...
- Cheese and Sausage Mexican Quiche is so flavorful and satisfying on an easy Sunday morning. It's a brunch dish that everyone loves.
- Cornmeal Popovers are so easy to make, and their mild flavor provides the perfect accompaniment to your creamy iced coffee cocktail.
- Creamy Pecan Pralines are rich and nutty—the perfect easy treat to munch on while you enjoy a boozy iced coffee.
📞 The last word
Brazilian Iced Coffee is a creamy, sweet coffee cocktail that's sure to cool you off on the hottest August evenings.
Espresso is shaken with sweetened condensed milk and a generous pour of dark rum then a little coconut rum is added just to give it that South American vibe.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Recipe
Brazilian Coffee Cocktail
Print Pin Recipe Save Recipe Rate RecipeIngredients
- ¼ cup espresso, , chilled
- 3 ounces dark rum
- 1 ounce coconut rum
- 2 ½ tablespoons sweetened condensed milk, plus a tablespoon for the rims
- coffee ice cubes, , freeze cold coffee in ice cube trays
- 2 tablespoons ground espresso beans, for the rims of the glasses
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Place 1 tablespoon of the sweetened condensed milk on a saucer.
- Place the ground espresso and cinnamon on another saucer - mix well.
- Dip the rims of the glasses into the sweetened condensed milk then roll in the ground espresso beans.
- Set aside.
- Combine the espresso, both rums, remaining sweetened condensed milk, and the coffee ice cubes in a shaker.
- Shake well.
- Divide the cocktail between the two glasses.
- Add more coffee ice cubes as needed.
Notes
-
- I like to keep two ice cube trays in my freezer at all times. One for regular ice, and one for coffee! Whenever we have a little bit of leftovers in the coffee pot after everyone's had their caffeine fix for the day, I'll pour it into the tray—we always have coffee ice cubes on hand!
- Shaking the cocktail with ice cools it down, but also emulsifies the ingredients properly and even improves the creamy texture! Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds for best results.
-
- Be sure to let hot coffee cool to room temperature before freezing it into cubes. This way, you won't accidentally thaw anything in the freezer!
-
- If you don't have a coffee grinder, use a mortar and pestle to crush the coffee beans. A few pulses in a food processor will also do the trick!
-
- A lowball glass works great for serving this Brazillian iced coffee cocktail. They're the same type of glasses you'd use for a white Russian or old-fashioned. Even a short dinner glass will do just fine.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.
✍🏻 A note from Marye...
I know y'all don't always like the stories bloggers tell so when I have one I try to put it at the very bottom so you can read or skip as you like.
I was never an iced coffee lover. Nope. I would happily sit out on the front porch with a cup of hot coffee and watch the world go by. Iced coffee just never seemed to have ...
Something.
A few years back I attended a press conference (that makes me sound good, doesn't it?) for the release of a new summer bar menu for a Brazilian themed restaurant.
They served Brazillian iced coffee only it was nothing like any iced coffee I'd had before. It was sweet, creamy, refreshing, and tasted like summer evenings in the Caribbean.
I was hooked.
While this recipe isn't an exact duplicate it is my adaption. I've refined it and mixed and stirred, and sipped until it is just about perfect.
If you've ever lived with a perfectionist you know nothing is ever all the way perfect, right?
First published June 11, 2018. Last updated May 13, 2023 to include better instructions and improved reader experience.
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