Coffee-flavored Kahlúa is the flexible star of a number of delicious cocktail recipes, so it's easy to discover a way drink Kahlúa that you love. You can sip the coffee liqueur by itself over ice, but don't count it out for other mixed drinks. Kahlúa blends beautifully with a number of mixers to create delicious cocktails.
Drinks With Kahlúa and Vodka
Kahlúa and vodka is a classic combination that goes beautifully together because the neutral flavor of vodka perfectly complements the coffee-flavored liqueur. There are a number of traditional Kahlúa drink recipes you can make with vodka.
Black Russian
The Black Russian is the most basic Kahlúa and vodka cocktail, and it's super easy to make.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce Kahlúa
- Ice
Instructions
- Fill a rocks glass with ice.
- Add the Kahlúa and vodka. Stir.
White Russian
The white Russian cocktail expands the above simple recipe further with the addition of heavy cream. Be sure to use heavy cream because the fat content keeps the vodka from curdling the dairy.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 2 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce Kahlúa
- 1 ounce heavy cream
Instructions
- Add ice to a rocks glass.
- Add the vodka and Kahlúa. Stir.
- Top with the heavy cream.
Mind Eraser
The mind eraser cocktail is a delicious combination of Kahlúa, vodka, and club soda. There are also other variations for this delicious and easy to make mixed drink.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1 ounce Kahlúa
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1 ounce club soda
Instructions
- Add ice to a rocks glass.
- Add the Kahlúa and vodka. Stir.
- Top with the club soda.
Mudslide
The mudslide cocktail is like dessert in a glass. It's a creamy, sweet, delicious drink that's the perfect end to an evening.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces vodka
- 1½ ounces heavy cream
- ¾ ounce Kahlúa
- ¾ ounce Irish cream liqueur
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, heavy cream, Kahlúa, and Irish cream.
- Add ice and shake.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
Coffee Martini
Espresso and coffee martinis are very popular right now. This one is simple to make and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1½ ounces vodka
- ¾ ounce Kahlúa
- ¾ ounce chocolate liqueur
- Ice
- Espresso beans for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a martini glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the vodka, Kahlúa, and chocolate liqueur.
- Add the ice and shake to chill.
- Strain into the chilled martini glass.
- Garnish with espresso beans.
Cocktails With Kahlúa and Coke
At first glance, Kahlúa and Coke or another cola may seem like an odd combination but in fact, the dark coffee notes of the Kahlúa complement cola's complex flavors.
Kahlúa and Coke
The simplest form of Kahlúa and coke is a straight up mixture of the two, and it's quite tasty.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 2 ounces Kahlúa
- 3 ounces Coke or another cola of your choice
- Cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Add the Kahlúa and Coke. Stir.
- Garnish with a cherry.
Colorado Bulldog
Kahlúa offers a simple recipe for Bulldog fans made with Kahlúa, vodka, heavy cream, and cola. But don't worry - regardless of which college team you cheer on, this drink is a beauty.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Kahlúa
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1 ounce heavy cream
- Ice
- 2 ounces Coke
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the Kahlúa, vodka, and heavy cream.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
- Top with the Coke and stir.
Kahlúa and Coke Float
Are you a fan of the ice cream float with Coke? Then you'll love this creamy boozy float. Kahlúa offers complexity to this tasty ice cream float.
Ingredients
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream
- 2 ounces Kahlúa
- 4 ounces Coke
Instructions
- In a highball glass or root beer mug, add the ice cream.
- Pour the Kahlúa and Coke over the top. Stir.
Cherry Coffee Cola Classic
Before there was cherry-flavored Coke, there was the traditional cherry cola made with cherry juice. This grown-up version takes it a step further, adding Luxardo cherry liqueur and Kahlúa for a boozy spin on a soda fountain favorite.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 6 ounces Coke
- 1 ounce Luxardo cherry liqueur
- 1 ounce Kahlúa
- Cherry for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Add the Coke, cherry liqueur, and Kahlúa.
- Stir.
- Garnish with a straw and a cherry.
Orange-Coffee Cola
Orange is surprisingly delicious with both Coke and the coffee flavors of Kahlúa. Here, Grand Marnier's classic orange flavor serves to pull together these three ingredients in a delicious drink.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 6 ounces Coke
- 1 ounce Grand Marnier
- 1 ounce Kahlúa
- Orange slice for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a highball glass with ice.
- Add the Coke.
- Pour in the Grand Marnier and Kahlúa. Stir.
- Garnish with an orange slice.
Drinks With Kahlúa and Rum
Kahlúa mixes very well with rum as well, particularly dark rum and spiced rum. It's really not surprising, since Kahlúa is a rum liqueur flavored with coffee.
Dark, Sweet, and Stormy
The Dark n' Stormy is Bermuda's national cocktail, and it's made with Gosling's black seal rum and ginger beer. This delicious version adds another layer of complexity to an already delicious drink.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1 ounce Kahlúa
- 1 ounce dark rum
- 4 ounces ginger beer
- Lime wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a collins glass with ice.
- Add the Kahlúa and dark rum and stir.
- Add the ginger beer. Stir again.
- Garnish with the lime wheel.
Time Bomb
This is another delicious cocktail. Try it with either dark or light rum to see which you like best.
Ingredients
- Ice
- 1 ounce Kahlúa
- 2 ounces dark rum
- 2 ounces cola
Instructions
- Fill a rocks glass with ice.
- Add the Kahlúa and dark rum. Stir.
- Add the cola. Stir again.
Kahlúa Shots
The 1980s brought about an explosion of sweet shots, many made with Kahlúa.
B52
The B52 shot is a layered shot made with three liqueurs that, when carefully poured into a shot glass, will separate into easily definable layers.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce Kahlúa
- ½ ounce Bailey's Irish Cream
- ½ ounce Grand Marnier
Instructions
- Pour the Kahlúa into a shot glass.
- Place a spoon over the shot glass with the convex side up.
- Carefully and very slowly, pour the Irish cream over the back of the spoon and into the shot glass. It should layer on top of the Kahlúa.
- Next, carefully and very slowly, pour the Grand Marnier over the back of the spoon and into the shot glass. It should layer on top of the Irish cream.
Screaming Orgasm
The name of this shot is really just a reminder of how delicious this four spirit shot is.
Ingredients
- ¼ ounce Kahlúa
- ¼ ounce vodka
- ¼ ounce Irish cream
- ¼ ounce amaretto
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into a shot glass.
Raspberry Espresso Shot
Unlike a typical espresso shot with raspberry, this one won't jack you up on caffeine, but it's still just as delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Chambord
- ½ ounce Kahlúa
- Ice
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into a shot glass.
Duck Fart
Who knows why shots are so named. This one is steeped in lore, with many claiming it was invented in Alaska, and many Alaskans proudly own the shot as a quintessentially Alaskan drink.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce Kahlúa
- ½ ounce Bailey's Irish Cream
- ½ ounce Canadian whisky (traditionally Crown Royal)
Instructions
- Pour the Kahlúa into a shot glass.
- Carefully and slowly pour the Irish cream over the back of a spoon into the glass to create a second layer.
- Carefully and slowly pour the whisky over the back of the spoon into the glass to float it on top of the Irish cream.
Hot Kahlúa Drinks
With coffee as its base flavor, it's no surprise Kahlúa is a popular add-in to hot beverages.
Kahlúa With Hot Chocolate
Simple and delicious, Kahlúa with hot chocolate is a perfect winter warmer.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces hot chocolate
- 2 ounces Kahlúa
- Whipped cream for garnish
Instructions
- In a coffee mug, combine the hot chocolate and Kahlúa.
- Stir.
- Garnish with the whipped cream.
Mexican Coffee
Kahlúa is also delicious in hot coffee to make a tasty Mexican coffee cocktail.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces freshly brewed coffee
- 2 ounces Kahlúa
Instructions
Combine the coffee and Kahlúa in a mug. Stir to mix.
Kahlúa Mixers
Create your own Kahlúa cocktails with mixers that blend well with the coffee-flavored liqueur. For example, you can add root beer and ice cream to make a grown-up root beer float.
- Club soda
- Cola
- Milk or heavy cream
- RumChata
- Irish cream
- Grand Marnier and other orange liqueurs
- Chambord and other berry-flavored liqueurs
- Ginger ale and ginger beer
- Lemon-lime soda
- Coffee
- Hot chocolate
- Whiskey, Scotch, and bourbon
- Rum
- Tequila
- Cream soda
- Root beer
- Sweet and sour mix
- Coconut cream
- Amaretto
- Vodka
- Butterscotch schnapps
Drinking Kahlúa Straight
Many people like to drink Kahlúa straight or on the rocks, and if that's your jam, then definitely do this. Whether you like it chilled on ice or at room temperature, sip your Kahlúa and enjoy the smooth coffee flavors.
Best Kahlúa Drinks
If you are a coffee lover, you're sure to enjoy these Kahlúa drinks. Experiment on your own by adding other liqueurs for extra flavor, such as Amaretto. Keep a bottle of Kahlua on hand, and try mixing up a few recipes for your next dinner party for a more adult take on after dinner coffee.
