Champagne Tastes®

  • About
  • Travel
    • Food Travel
    • Outdoor Adventure
  • Recipe Index
    • Garden To Table
    • Seafood
    • Camping Recipes
    • Ferment
    • Backyard Foraging + Wild Game
    • Cooking Basics
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Garden To Table
  • Seafood
  • Ferment
  • Foraging + Wild Game
  • Cooking Basics
  • Camping Recipes
  • Outdoor Adventure
  • Food Travel
  • Lifestyle
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Bourbon

    Kentucky Bourbon Coffee

    Published: Dec 5, 2016 · Modified: Nov 21, 2024 · 12 Comments

    This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Save Recipe Saved!

    This Kentucky Bourbon Coffee is a Southern take on an Irish coffee, and is the perfect drink to keep you warm on chilly days.  This caffeinated cocktail is made with freshly-brewed coffee, coffee liqueur, bourbon, and cream.  

    Floating Cream on a Kentucky Bourbon Coffee.

    Last fall, on one of our Bourbon Trail escapades, the husband and I found ourselves dashing through a Lexington parking lot on a blustery, stormy day.  

    We hurried inside the Town Branch distillery, also toured the brewery next door, and relied on their tastings to keep us warm as we made our way to the different buildings in the tour.

    The tour ended with their delicious, warming, smile-inducing Bluegrass Sundown, a bourbon-ized version of the classic Irish drink.

    Town Branch cocktails with cream on top.

    When I came home, I was convinced that I could make my own bourbon-licious coffee!

    This drink is the perfect winter cocktail — an easy-to-make, Southern version of the classic Irish beverage.

    Check out our picks for the best small espresso makers!

    For a chilled coffee cocktail, try making this mocha martini!

    Can I Use Decaf in This Kentucky Bourbon Coffee?

    Absolutely.  Decaffeinated coffee is a perfectly acceptable solution to the "caffeinated cocktail conundrum."

    If you, like me, are somewhat "caffeine sensitive," you may gaze at caffeinated cocktails in confusion.  When does one drink these rich, earthy drinks?

    If you're like my husband, you drink them whenever you want, and never ever find yourself staring at the ceiling at 3 a.m., cursing your poor caffeine-decision-making skills.  

    If you're like me, you drink them in the early afternoon, or swap the coffee out for decaf.  

    I'm wild and crazy like that, y'all.

    Once you've decided on regular or decaf, and are ready to start cocktailing it up, you're going to need some bourbon, coffee liqueur, a little sugar (if you want!), and cream.

    Kentucky Bourbon Coffee drink.

    Making Kentucky Bourbon Coffee

    Once you've gathered all your ingredients, start mixing your cocktail!  

    Simply pour coffee into a mug (fill it about halfway), and add the bourbon and coffee liqueur.  Stir it all up, and sweeten to taste.

    How to Float Cream on a Cocktail

    Next, hold a spoon, curved side up, against the inside rim of the mug.  

    Pour the cream slowly over the spoon so that the cream settles on the top of the drink.  

    Serve immediately, and sip slowly to stay warm on even the most blustery days!

    Can I Make This a Mocktail?

    Sure! It won't be exactly the same as the cocktail version, but making this a mocktail is fairly simple.

    First, find some bourbon-flavored coffee. How easy this is to find will depend on where you live, but we often find it at distillery gift shops.

    Packages of James E Pepper coffee aged in whiskey barrels.
    Coffee Beans for Sale at James E Pepper Distillery

    Next, follow the recipe directions as written, but swap out the unflavored coffee for bourbon coffee and omit the bourbon and liqueur.

    This Kentucky Bourbon Coffee is a Southern take on an Irish coffee, and is the perfect drink to keep you warm this winter. This caffeinated cocktail is made with freshly brewed coffee, coffee liqueur, bourbon, and cream.
    Print Recipe Save Recipe Saved!
    5 from 6 votes

    Kentucky Bourbon Coffee

    This Kentucky Bourbon Coffee is a Southern take on an Irish coffee, and is the perfect drink to keep you warm on chilly days. This caffeinated cocktail is made with freshly-brewed coffee, coffee liqueur, bourbon, and cream. 
    Author: Sarah Trenalone
    Total Time5 minutes mins
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
    Servings: 1 person
    Calories: 262kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients

    • 4-6 oz freshly brewed coffee
    • 1 ounce bourbon
    • ½ ounce coffee liqueur
    • 1 teaspoon brown sugar (optional, sweeten to taste)
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 ½ ounces heavy cream

    Instructions

    • Pour hot coffee, bourbon, vanilla, and coffee liqueur into a mug.  Stir, and sweeten to taste with brown sugar (optional).
    • Hold a small metal spoon, curved side up, against the inside wall of the mug and just above the coffee drink.  Pour cream over spoon.  (Spoon will help the cream remain mostly on the top of the drink).  Serve immediately.

    Notes

    Yields 1 cocktail
    Nutrition information does not include optional sugar.
    Mocktail option:  Skip the bourbon and liqueur, and use bourbon-infused or bourbon-flavored coffee instead of unflavored coffee.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 262kcal (13%) | Carbohydrates: 7g (2%) | Fat: 15g (23%) | Saturated Fat: 9g (56%) | Cholesterol: 58mg (19%) | Sodium: 17mg (1%) | Sugar: 6g (7%) | Vitamin A: 625IU (13%) | Calcium: 28mg (3%)
    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!

    This cocktail was inspired by Alltech's 'Bluegrass Sundown.'

    More Bourbon Recipes + Distilleries

    • Bourbon still at Hartfield & Co.
      Hartfield and Co. (Paris, KY)
    • Willett Distillery stone and wood building.
      Willett Distillery (Bardstown, KY)
    • Exterior of Jeptha Creed Distillery, a red wood-sided building with black roof.
      Jeptha Creed Distillery (Shelbyville, KY)
    • Building Exterior with "Finger Lakes Distilling" printed on side.
      Finger Lakes Distilling (Burdett, NY)

    About Sarah Trenalone

    Sarah is the primary creator at Champagne Tastes. She's a photographer, food writer and traveler, and is certified in Backcountry Kitchen and Backcountry Navigation from the Colorado Outward Bound School and Identifying Wild Plants from Backpacker.

    5 from 6 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Comment: Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Comments

    All commentsI made this
    1. Mark says

      January 27, 2017 at 9:45 pm

      5 stars
      We just toured through Kentucky and visited 3 bourbon distilleries there. Not only did I enjoy the bourbon but also those wonderful bourbon balls. I'm a bit of a coffee snob, which I freely admit, so this sounds like a match made in heaven.

      Reply
      • champagne-tastes says

        January 27, 2017 at 9:50 pm

        Oh awesome! I love the Bourbon Trail 😀

        Reply
    2. Jennifer A Stewart says

      January 30, 2017 at 9:14 pm

      I was never a big bourbon drinker but the hubby loves it. We are remodeling our kitchen and I had to move his bourbon collection. 64 bottles! That's not including the ones that were empty and he was keeping the bottle because it is cool, but 64 actual bottles. I started drinking it with raspberry ginger ale (don't judge it's awesome) and bourbon cream over ice. I love the idea of bourbon and cream with coffee. It is getting cool here finally so I might be busting this out soon!

      Reply
    3. champagne-tastes says

      April 12, 2017 at 8:11 am

      Thanks!!! And yes, sneak bourbon into all the things! 😀

      Reply
    4. Caroline @ Pinch Me, I'm Eating! says

      May 06, 2017 at 8:48 am

      When to drink a drink like this? Weekend mornings! Or, like you said, early afternoon or evening with decaf. I'm going to make these this morning for me and my hubby!

      Reply
      • champagne-tastes says

        May 06, 2017 at 8:49 am

        Enjoy!!!!

        Reply
        • Caroline @ Pinch Me, I'm Eating! says

          May 06, 2017 at 10:55 am

          5 stars
          They were delicious!! I only included half the bourbon because I don't like my alcohol super strong and bourbon is a very strong flavor to me. We both enjoyed these and will be making them again!

          Reply
          • champagne-tastes says

            May 06, 2017 at 10:56 am

            Awesome!!! I'm glad you loved it!

            Reply
    5. Aron says

      August 17, 2018 at 10:10 am

      5 stars
      This is a drink that definitly can wake you up! Great with breakfast for dinner combo.

      Reply
      • champagne-tastes says

        August 17, 2018 at 8:51 pm

        Haha! I love that you had it with breakfast 😁 Glad you liked!

        Reply
    6. John says

      May 13, 2024 at 9:16 pm

      5 stars
      Used Cafe Bustelo and it came out great.

      Reply
      • Alisha Trenalone says

        May 14, 2024 at 9:46 am

        So glad you liked it!

        -Alisha at Champagne Tastes

        Reply
    bio

    Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm a traveler who loves to eat.   Follow along to join me on my next adventure-- in food or on the road.

    Learn More →

    Currently Trending

    • langostino lobster rolls on a serving tray.
      Langostino Lobster Rolls
    • pan-seared rockfish on a plate
      Pan-Seared Rockfish
    • pan-seared red snapper on plates
      Pan-Seared Red Snapper
    • crab butter sauce on a platter with crab legs
      Crab Butter Sauce

    Footer

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Supplemental Privacy Notice For California Residents
    • Supplemental Privacy Notice For Nevada Residents

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Recipe and Photo Reuse Terms + FAQ

    Copyright ©2015-2025 Champagne Tastes
    All Rights Reserved.

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.