PH factor: 10 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Finlandia vodka o ½ ounce Licor 43, Cuarenta y Tres o 1 ounce Tia Maria o ½ ounce cream Garnish o 1 Café con Leche Ice Cube, see: Syrups etc. Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Serve in an Old Fashioned glass with the Café con Leche ice cube. Remarks: Despite the rating, there is one big problem with this cocktail. You have to sip it. Allowing the Café con Leche ice cube to melt takes time. It’s not easy to wait for it. Trust us. . . .

PH factor: 8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Bombay Sapphire gin o ½ ounce Chambord o ½ ounce Kahlúa o 1 teaspoon grenadine o 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice o 2 ounces cold coffee or espresso Garnish o orange peel Method 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Serve up in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with orange peel. Remarks: This one took some work. First, we switched to Sapphire gin. We also reduced the Chambord and added Kahlúa. The result of that labor was a newborn caffeinated cocktail. Enjoy. . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces J. Wray Silver rum o ¾ ounce fresh lime juice o ¾ ounce Simple Syrup, see: Syrups etc. o 2 ounces cold coffee or espresso Garnish o lime wheel Method: 1. Shake cocktail ingredients over ice. 2. Serve over ice in a cocktail glass. 3. Garnish with a lime wheel. Remarks: We found this to be a refreshing caffeinated cocktail. The rating reflects our decision to make it with espresso. . . .

PH factor: 8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Jim Beam Bonded bourbon o ½ ounce Grand Marnier o ¼ ounce maple syrup o 4 ounces hot coffee or espresso Garnish o lightly whipped cream o orange peel Method: 1. Combine cocktail ingredients in a cup or mug. 2. Top with whipped cream. 3. Garnish with orange peel. Remarks: We used a Vienna Roast coffee and found the resultant flavor to have a tobacco note. . . .

PH factor: 9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Mount Gay XO rum o ½ ounce Pierre Farrand Dry Curaçao o 8 ounces strong hot coffee Garnish o cream, lightly whipped with a dash of orange extract o Hella Orange bitters and allspice. Method: 1. Combine cocktail ingredients in a cup or mug. 2. Gently top with whipped cream. 3. Garnish with bitters and ground allspice. Remarks: Not as sweet as you’d expect, thanks to the bitters and spice. The combination of coffee and orange liqueur is a happy one. . . .

PH factor: 9.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o cinnamon o sugar o 1 ounce Mount Gay XO rum o 1 ounce Licor 43, Cuarenta Y Tres o ¾ ounce heavy cream o 1 ½ tablespoons coconut cream o 1 splash agave syrup o ½ cup cold strong coffee Garnish o 3 coffee beans o ground cinnamon Method: 1. Moisten the rim of a cocktail glass and invert it into a shallow dish containing a mixture of cinnamon and sugar to coat the rim of the glass. 2. Shake remaining cocktail ingredients over ice. 3. Serve up in the prepared glass. 4. Garnish with a pinch ground cinnamon and coffee beans. Remarks: A lot of ingredients but not too difficult to mix and well worth the effort. This should be your next new Häagen-Dazs flavor. You hear us, Reuben? . . .

PH factor: 8.0 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o ¼ ounce Lazzaroni Amaretto o ¼ ounce Drambuie o ¼ ounce Tia Maria or Kahlúa o 4 ounces coffee or espresso Garnish o whipped cream (optional) Method: 1. Combine cocktail ingredients in mug or cup. 2. Top with whipped cream if using. Remarks: An unusual mix of flavors. We used Tia Maria but feel free to use your favorite coffee liqueur. . . .

PH factor: 8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce 1800 Añejo tequila o 1 ounce Drambuie o 1 ounce cold coffee or espresso o 1 ounce grapefruit juice Garnish o grapefruit peel Method: 1. Stir cocktail ingredients in an ice-filled Old Fashioned glass. 2. Garnish with the grapefruit peel. Remarks: It's not an intuitive combination of spirits, but the grapefruit and coffee dominate the flavor to the point that it might seem a like a drink you'd want to have waiting for you after your morning run. . . .

PH factor: 8.0 Recipe: Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ½ ounces Finlandia vodka o 1 ½ ounces Kahlúa o 2 ounces chilled espresso o 2 teaspoons sugar Method: 1. Shake over ice. 2. Serve up in a martini glass. Remarks: As above, we think the QT is too sweet. If you agree, reducing the sugar would be an obvious place to start. Another way to tame the sweetness is to use Patron XO Cafe in place of Kahlúa. . . .

PH factor: 8.0 Recipe (Serves Two) Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 cup milk o 1 tablespoon crushed cardamom pods o ½ teaspoon rosewater o 1 ounce Bénédictine D.O.M. o 2 ounces Mill Six Hemp, White Tea, and Ginger Flavored vodka o ½ ounce St. Germain o 2-3 drops Cardamon Bitters, see: Syrups etc. o 8 ounces cold strong coffee Garnish o rose petals (optional) Method: 1. Bring milk and cardamom pods to a simmer. 2. Add rose water and simmer stirring for 5 minutes. 3. Strain into a container, cover and chill. 4. When you are ready to drink divide the chilled mixture into two collins glasses and add the remaining cocktail ingredients. 5. Garnish with rose petals if using. Remarks: This coffee is tasty and exotic. It could be, probably should be, made in quantity and kept in your refrigerator to await your drinking pleasure. . . .

PH factor: 8.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Finlandia vodka o 1 teaspoon Lazzaroni Amaretto o ½ ounce Kahlúa o sugar to taste o 5 ounces hot coffee or espresso Garnish o whipped cream Method: 1. Combine cocktail ingredients in a warmed glass mug or cup. 2. Top with whipped cream. Remarks: This is a pleasant way to enjoy strong coffee. Amaretto fans feel free to increase it a smidge. . . .

PH factor: 9.5 Recipe Ingredients: Cocktail o 1 ounce Mount Gay Eclipse rum o 1 ounce Mount Gay XO rum o ½ ounce Pierre Farrand Dry Curaçao o ½ ounce agave nectar o 1 dash orange bitters o 4 ounces hot coffee or espresso Garnish o sweetened whipped cream o orange peel o cinnamon stick o grated chocolate Method: 1. Combine cocktail ingredients in a cup or mug. 2. Top with whipped cream. 3. Garnish with grated chocolate, orange peel, and cinnamon stick. Remarks: This is very tasty, caffeinated cocktail. Emphasis on cocktail. . . .