Café Bourbon Sour

About This Cocktail

The Café Bourbon Sour is what happens when your favorite morning ritual sneaks into your evening cocktail. Instead of an espresso martini’s sweetness, this one leans whiskey-forward, with coffee adding a roasted, aromatic depth that turns every sip into a little surprise. It’s still unmistakably a sour — just one wearing a darker, moodier coat.

Coffee and bourbon make better dance partners than you’d expect. The coffee brings roasted complexity; the bourbon supplies the warmth; the citrus snaps everything into focus. You end up with a cocktail that’s smooth, slightly bitter, lightly sweet, and layered in a way that keeps you coming back for “just one more sip.”

Serve this one in a coupe to play up the elegance, or — if you’re feeling bold — garnish with a single coffee bean for that “I know what I’m doing” vibe. It’s a cocktail that works as well after dinner as it does for brunch. No judgment.

Overall Balance

This sour walks the line between rich and bright. The roasted coffee notes deepen the bourbon without overwhelming it, while the citrus keeps the whole cocktail lively. It’s balanced, aromatic, and surprisingly refreshing for something with coffee in the mix.

Notes & Fine Tuning Options

If you want a bolder coffee presence: increase the coffee liqueur slightly.
If you want more tartness: add an extra quarter ounce of lemon.
If you prefer a smoother profile: choose a softer barrel-proof bourbon to add warmth without too much bite.
For garnish drama: flame an orange peel over the top to boost the aromatics.

Flavor Expectation

You’ll get roasted coffee on the nose, a bright citrus snap up front, and a warm bourbon finish. The coffee lingers gently, giving the sour a toasty, almost chocolate-adjacent depth without any sweetness.

Café Bourbon Sour

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Difficulty: Easy

Servings

1

servings

Prep time

5

minutes

Cook Mode

Keep the screen of your device on

Ingredients

US Metric

• 2 oz 2 bourbon

• 1/2 oz 1/2 Mr. Black coffee liqueur

• 3/4 oz 3/4 fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 oz 1/4 simple syrup

• 1 dash 1 chocolate bitters (optional but fantastic)

Directions

• Add ingredients to a shaker with ice
• Shake until shaker is frosty
• Strain (fine mesh) into a pre-chilled coupe

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Equipment

• 
  Stainless Bell JiggerBuy From A Bar Above
• 
  Stainless Boston ShakerBuy From A Bar Above
• 
  Stainless Fine Mesh StrainerBuy From A Bar Above
• 
  Stainless Hawthorne StrainerBuy From A Bar Above
• 
  Silicone Bar MatBuy From A Bar Above

Notes

• Like an espresso martini stumbled into a whiskey sour. Not sweet—more “coffee lemonade” in a good way. Dark, refreshing.

Cocktail Recipes from Bourbony.co

@bourbony.co