Fresh Ingredients

Coffee

Coffee goes into drinks as a fresh espresso, valued for its crema, or as a longer brew: filter, phin-dripped robusta or cold brew. The brew decides what it brings: hot espresso gives foam and bitterness, filter gives length and heat, and cold brew gives flavour with no crema. It carries caffeine: by the NHS figure a cup of instant coffee holds 100mg, and filter coffee can hold more.

Quick Facts

ABV0% ABV

Legal categoryNon-alcoholic

OriginGlobal (coffee-growing regions worldwide)

Flavour Strengthmedium bold

SeasonYear-round

Our keeping timeWhole beans: two to four weeks after opening. Brewed: the same day.

Storage

Store whole beans airtight away from light and heat. Grind just before brewing. Brew only what you need for immediate use.

Allergens

None of the 14 listed allergens.

The ingredient

About Coffee

Flavour Profile

Primary Flavours

CoffeeRoastedBitterCocoa (subtle)

Tasting Notes

Roasted coffee aroma with bitter-sweet depth, cocoa undertones, and varying acidity depending on roast and extraction. Clean when fresh, harsh when stale.

The brew, not the bean, sets the job

Espresso is water forced through finely ground coffee under pressure in seconds, which concentrates the oils and leaves crema on top. Filter and phin coffee drip through by gravity over minutes and give more volume at lower strength. Cold brew steeps in cold water for hours, gaining flavour with less acidity and never forming crema. Each suits different drinks, and our recipes say which they want.

Coffee brews in our recipes

Espresso

Made by: Pressure, seconds; about 30ml
What it brings: Crema for foam, bitterness
Our recipes: Espresso Martini
In the drink: Hot, added last

Espresso, chilled

Made by: Brewed ahead, fridge
What it brings: Coffee and acidity, no foam
Our recipes: Shaft (45ml)
In the drink: Cold

Filter

Made by: Gravity drip, minutes
What it brings: Length and heat
Our recipes: Irish Coffee (120ml)
In the drink: Hot

Phin-dripped robusta

Made by: Slow drip, four to six minutes
What it brings: Strong dark roast for condensed milk
Our recipes: Vietnamese iced coffee
In the drink: Hot, then over ice

Cold brew

Made by: Cold steep, hours
What it brings: Flavour, no crema
Our recipes: A fallback in the Shaft
In the drink: Cold

Brew	Made by	What it brings	Our recipes	In the drink
Espresso	Pressure, seconds; about 30ml	Crema for foam, bitterness	Espresso Martini	Hot, added last
Espresso, chilled	Brewed ahead, fridge	Coffee and acidity, no foam	Shaft (45ml)	Cold
Filter	Gravity drip, minutes	Length and heat	Irish Coffee (120ml)	Hot
Phin-dripped robusta	Slow drip, four to six minutes	Strong dark roast for condensed milk	Vietnamese iced coffee	Hot, then over ice
Cold brew	Cold steep, hours	Flavour, no crema	A fallback in the Shaft	Cold

Hot and last makes the foam

In an Espresso Martini the shot is pulled after the vodka, liqueur and syrup are in the tin, added hot, and shaken hard with ice for 10 to 12 seconds. The crema’s oils and gas whip into the foam that holds three beans. The Shaft does the opposite on purpose: chilled espresso shaken with vodka, coffee liqueur and Irish cream, for a cold coffee drink rather than a foamed one.

Filter and phin carry the long drinks

An Irish Coffee takes 120ml of hot filter coffee in a warmed glass with a teaspoon of demerara sugar and 50ml of Irish whiskey, under a float of lightly whipped cream. Vietnamese iced coffee drips 90ml of dark-roast robusta through a phin onto condensed milk, stirred hot and poured over ice; the cocktail version shakes the same base with vodka and coffee liqueur.

Caffeine travels with the coffee

Instant coffee carries about 100mg of caffeine a cup by the NHS figure, and filter or coffee-shop coffee can carry more; for pregnancy, the NHS limit is 200mg a day from every source. An espresso’s caffeine depends on the dose and the beans. Decaffeinated beans work in every recipe here at the same measures.

Using it

Using Coffee

Usage

A single espresso of about 30ml, pulled last and shaken hot, for an Espresso Martini; 45ml brewed ahead and chilled for the Shaft; 120ml of hot filter for an Irish Coffee; 90ml of phin-dripped robusta over condensed milk for Vietnamese iced coffee.

Pro Tip

If an Espresso Martini will not foam, change the shot, not the shake. A fresh, hot espresso with its crema intact matters more than shaking past 10 to 12 seconds.

Top Tips

Put everything else in the tin before pulling the espresso, and shake within seconds of adding it.
Warm the Irish Coffee glass with hot water first. Filter coffee loses heat quickly to a cold glass.
Brew the Shaft’s espresso ahead and chill it covered in the fridge, so it goes into the tin cold.
Use decaffeinated beans for a late drink. The measures and method stay the same.

Possible Substitutions

Coffee Liqueur: Sweeter and alcoholic, with no crema: a different drink

Production Method

Roasted beans ground and brewed with water: espresso is forced through under pressure in seconds; filter and phin coffee drip through by gravity over minutes; cold brew steeps in cold water for hours.

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

Should the espresso be hot or cold in an Espresso Martini?

Hot, and added last. The foam is made from the crema of a freshly pulled shot, which breaks down within minutes, so the vodka, liqueur and syrup go into the tin first and the shake follows at once. A hot shot melts a little more ice, and the measures allow for it.

Can I use cold brew instead of espresso?

For flavour, yes; for foam, no. Cold brew is steeped without heat or pressure, so it never had crema, and an Espresso Martini made with it comes out flat. In the Shaft, which is shaken with chilled coffee anyway, a cold brew concentrate works in place of the chilled espresso.

How much caffeine is in a coffee cocktail?

Roughly what is in the coffee. The NHS gives 100mg for a cup of instant coffee, says filter and coffee-shop coffee can hold more, and advises a ceiling of 200mg a day in pregnancy. An espresso varies with the dose and the beans, so no single figure fits every shot.

Does decaf work in cocktails?

Yes. Decaffeinated beans make an espresso with crema, so an Espresso Martini foams in the same way, and filter decaf makes an Irish Coffee that looks and pours like the original. Use the same measures and method; only the caffeine changes.

What coffee goes in an Irish Coffee?

Hot filter coffee, 120ml of it, freshly made and strong enough to stand up to 50ml of whiskey. The volume sets the length of the drink and holds the heat under the cream. An espresso makes a shorter, stronger and different drink.

Why do coffee beans go on an Espresso Martini?

Three beans on the foam are the IBA’s garnish, and the beans give off a little aroma as you lift the glass. Laid on gently, they float on a dense foam. If they sink, the foam was thin: usually an old shot or a short shake.

How long does coffee keep?

Whole beans keep two to four weeks after the bag is opened, sealed airtight and away from heat and light; grind just before brewing. Brewed coffee is for the same day, including the espresso chilled ahead for a Shaft.

Make something

Made with Coffee

Featured In These Cocktails

Shaft Irish Coffee Espresso Martini Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Cocktail)Vietnamese Iced Coffee (Non-Alcoholic)

Often Used With

Updated 18 October 2026

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