It’s time. You know it, and I know it. It’s time for a coffee quarantini.
That would be the coffee version of the “quarantini”, which is another one of these new lexicographical markers of our strange shared moment, like “flatten the curve” or “Lattes Grandes.” A quarantini is a cocktail you make at home, using whatever you happen to have in the fridge or on your home bar. It can—and should!—be as diverse and personal as the individual who makes it, and reflect the stuff in your life that you really love.
We could all use one right about now. Heck, make it two. And if you don’t drink alcohol, that’s fine—a coffee quarantini can be happily non-alcoholic. What matters is that you make one that brings you joy, gives you life, and bolsters your wonderful self. (We’ve included a booze-free version below.)
This isn’t a contest; it’s an invitation. Make a coffee quarantini and post it on social media. Tag us and use our hashtag—we’re @Sprudge #Sprudge on everything—and we’ll reshare from wide and far. Coffee quarantinis for everyone. A drink for these times to share.
To spark your creativity we asked a couple of friends (and our founders) to make theirs upfront. They are delicious and delightful, and you should feel totally authorized to remake them in your own visage or develop your own totally unique drink from a completely different playbook. Riff boldly, quaff fearlessly, and post frequently.
Tag us. Drink up. Thank you for reading and enjoy these lovely drinks!
Your Fave Cousins
Michelle Johnson, Red Bay Coffee Roasters, Los Angeles
1.5oz Hennessy
One small bottle of Fever Tree tonic (6.8 FL)
1.5oz cold brew concentrate
Instructions: Combine the mixture, then serve over ice in a bougie $100 wine glass. Garnish with a grapefruit peel. This recipe was made using cold brew concentrate from the Go Get Em Tiger pantry.
Recipe notes: This is a brunch coffee cocktail. I’m on my second one!
Bangarang!
Brandon Paul Weaver, Liberty Bar, Seattle
1 oz Novo Fogo Cahaca
1 oz espresso
.5 oz Averna
.5 oz vanilla syrup
6 dashes Scrappy’s Chocolate bitters
2 dashes Scrappy’s Lavender bitters
Instructions: Pull an espresso. Fill the large side of a Boston shaker tin with ice water and float the small tin in the ice bath. Put espresso in the small side to chill. Once espresso is cold, combine all ingredients into a shaker, add fresh ice and shake until frosty. Pour into your favorite glass and garnish with a few little coffee seeds.
Recipe note: “This is actually Liberty’s house espresso martini, called Bangarang! (The exclamation mark is important.) The original espresso martini was invented in roughly the same era as the film Hook, both of which have aged beautifully. This drink combines coffee and alcohol with the force of Robin Williams learning to use his imagination.
Classic Snack-quiri
MiMo, Sey Coffee, Brooklyn
2 oz Plantation Pineapple Rum
1.5 oz Pomegranate juice
.5 simple syrup (2:1 recipe)
.25 lime juice (fresh squeezed)
1 tsp instant coffee
Instructions: Shake in a tin until it’s cold (around 20 shakes). Double strain into glass and garnish with a lime wedge.
Recipe note: Tastes like a sour red fruit snack!!!
The Good Egg Cream
Jordan Michelman, Sprudge co-founder, Portland, OR
2 oz premium vodka
1 oz St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur
1 oz whole milk
2 oz seltzer
Instructions: Build the drink in a highball glass, adding the seltzer last. Froth the mixture using a small whisk or chopstick to develop a nice foamy head. Add more seltzer if needed, serve up.
Recipe note: Any good vodka works for this recipe, but I really like Pravda, Russian Standard, Belvedere, or the Our/Vodka bottling series. St. George’s coffee liqueur is excellent, but can be substituted for another premium coffee liqueur like Mr. Black, Conker Spirit, or this ridiculously good Barry Brothers & Rudd Coffee Liqueur. Use any available unflavored seltzer water for maximum fizz or a tightly carbonated mineral water like Radenska (from Poland) or Gerolsteiner (from Germany).
The Buzz Aldrin
Zachary Carlsen, Sprudge co-founder, Portland, OR
4 oz iced coffee concentrate
4 oz LaCroix NiCola Coconut Cola
1 tbsp simple syrup
Juice of one lime
Fresh lime garnish
Instructions: Brew an iced coffee concentrate. We used an AeroPress. Add lime juice and simple syrup to the concentrate. Pour into a fancy glass and add an equal part of LaCroix Coconut Cola. Garnish with lime.
Recipe note: This drink is named for famed astronaut Buzz Aldrin, who has been sober for three decades. Buzz Aldrin will take you to the moon and punch you in the face. Try it with Coca Cola instead of LaCroix (nix the simple syrup) and you’ve got yourself a Double Buzz Aldrin.
Now go make yourself a coffee quarantini! Tag us @Sprudge and #Sprudge.
