Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink
  3. Features

These coffee cocktails are the unexpected summer drinks you’ll crave all season

Summer coffee cocktails that aren't another espresso martini

Mr Black
Emily Caldwell / The Manual

I could sip on espresso martinis and frozen espresso martinis year-round, but sometimes, on hot summer days, you need something a bit sweeter and fruitier. These fruit-inspired summer coffee cocktails blend traditional summer flavors, like pineapple and strawberry, with Mr Black Coffee Liqueur for a caffeinated and alcoholic twist on your standard summer iced coffee.

Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, made with 100% specialty arabica coffee, Australian wheat vodka, and a touch of cane sugar, is the perfect base for creating unique summer cocktails with a caffeine boost. My favorite is the Café Colada, a drink that makes a great choice when you can’t decide whether you want a fruity, frozen drink or an iced coffee (a frequent predicament I face). Here’s how to make three fruity, summer coffee cocktails using Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur.

Café Colada

A pina colada with coffee liqueur sounds unexpected, but these flavors pair together better than you’d think. The Café Colada combines the tropical flavors of pineapple and coconut with Mr Black’s bold coffee liqueur. It’s refreshing, delicious, and perfect for warm-weather sipping with a hint of coffee flavor. This recipe for a caffeinated spin on a classic pina colada serves two and can be adjusted to scale. I love how easy this recipe is to put together — all you need is a blender, ingredients, and a glass to put this drink together in under 10 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 2oz Mr Black Coffee Liqueur
  • 2oz rum
  • 4oz pineapple juice
  • 4oz sweetened coconut cream
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1–1.5 cups of ice

Method

  1. Blend everything until smooth and frozen (about 10–15 seconds).
  2. Pour into a hurricane glass and garnish with a lime wheel, dried pineapple, and a cherry.
  3. Serve, sip, and enjoy!

Coffee Lemon Spritz

Crafted with Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur, bright Limoncello, and a refreshing hit of sparkling water, this spritz delivers a bold, unexpected twist on the traditional. It’s smooth, zesty, and caffeinated, giving all other spritzes a serious run for their money this season. Coffee and lemon also seem interesting, yet these two pair perfectly for a zesty, caffeinated, refreshing summer coffee cocktail. There’s really no bad to enjoy this summer cocktail, but to me, it seems like the perfect drink for a summer brunch.

Ingredients

  • 30ml/1oz Mr Black Coffee Liqueur
  • 30ml/1oz Limoncello
  • Sparkling water to top

Method

  1. Fill a glass with ice and then add Mr Black and Limoncello.
  2. Top the glass with sparkling water.
  3. Garnish with a lemon wheel, if desired.
  4. Stir, and enjoy while sipping in the sun.

Strawberries & Cream Cold Foam Iced Coffee

If you thought lemon and coffee were too far-fetched of a coffee flavor combo, perhaps this Strawberries & Cream Cold Foam Iced Coffee is a better fit. Offering a sweeter taste from fresh strawberry puree and simple syrup, this twist on your afternoon iced coffee is quickly becoming a favorite of mine.

Ingredients

  • 1 oz Mr Black Coffee Liqueur
  • 1 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream (chilled)
  • 1 oz Espresso or cold brew
  • 45 ml/1.5 oz of cream
  • 45 ml/1.5 oz fresh strawberry puree
  • 1 tsp simple syrup

Method

  1. Using a milk frother or whisk, froth ingredients until combined into a fluffy cold foam.
  2. Set aside while you build your iced coffee.
  3. In a glass filled with ice, pour Mr Black, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and coffee.
  4. Float cold foam over the iced coffee and garnish with a strawberry.
  5. Serve and enjoy!
Emily is a Features Writer at The Manual, where she specializes in food, beverage, and travel content. She focuses on weaving… Read Full Bio
Old Forester announced a new annual ultra-premium age-stated whiskey release
Old Forester Tribute Series 2026

When it comes to tradition, Old Forester’s history is hard to beat. If you didn’t know it already, this renowned brand was America’s first bottled bourbon. You read that right. Nobody had bottled bourbon before Old Forester. That’s a pretty big deal. To honor this tradition, the brand announced the Tribute Series, a new annual ultra-premium, age-stated release.

Old Forester Tribute Series 2026

Read more
Zacapa is celebrating its 50th birthday with an epic aged rum
Rum Glass

If it were your 50th birthday, how would you celebrate? Well, the folks at Zacapa are paying tribute to this milestone by releasing its first limited-edition innovation outside the brand’s core North American portfolio. But, since its bottled to celebrate 5 decades, it’s so much more than that.

Zacapa 50th Anniversary Edition

Read more
Behold, the most unhinged fall booze of 2026
Bottle, Glass, Cinnamon Roll

Pumpkin spice lattes and Oktoberfest beers get all the attention this time of year, but the liquor aisle is where fall really gets weird.

Every autumn, spirits brands roll out their most experimental seasonal ideas. Some are brilliant, some are baffling, and a few are both. This year’s crop includes a cocktail with microwave instructions, Irish cream in a can, and a PB&J you can drink.

Read more