Skip to main content

Tequila and coffee make the perfect pair in these seasonal cocktails

How to combine these two powerful flavors into one drink

tequila coffee seasonal cocktails caf  helado by cantera negra 1
Cantera Negra Tequila

If you love a cup of coffee in the morning, and you love a cocktail in the evening, then why not combine the two into a late-night caffeinated treat? Coffee cocktails are having something of a moment, spurred on by the enormous popularity of the Espresso Martini. But many variations of the Espresso Martini have upped the syrups used, and many of the drinks inspired by this tend toward being sweet. And while there’s nothing wrong with a rich, creamy dessert cocktail, that isn’t the only way to make use of coffee flavors in your drinks.

As well as fitting with cream and caramel, coffee also goes well with more bracing, bitter flavors. It’s often overlooked now, but the Irish Coffee is a classic for combining the hearty bitterness of black coffee with the fruity depths of Irish whiskey. And another spirit which pairs extremely well with coffee is tequila, especially those tequilas which lean toward smokey or savory agave flavors. The darkness of coffee and the mineral and floral notes of a tequila set each other off extremely well.

Recommended Videos

That’s why there’s been a trend for tequila-based coffee liqueurs in recent years. There’s the Patrón XO coffee liqueur which has become inescapable in clubs over the last few years, but there are also smaller brands doing their own takes on the concept, like Cantera Negra Tequila which has its own Cantera Negra Café liqueur.

If you’re intrigued by the combination of coffee and tequila, Cantera Negra has four delicious recipes to show you how to mix these flavors ranging from the robust, spirituous Café Agave Old Fashioned which makes use of the classic Old Fashioned formula to show off the best of the tequila’s nuances, to the sweet and creamy Gingerbread Café which adds crowd-pleasing dessert elements like Frangelico and gingerbread syrup to create a festive treat. I’m particularly intrigued by the use of a barspoon of crème fraiche in this drink, which should add a lovely richness as well as a hint of sourness to balance all that sweet.

Café Agave Old Fashioned

Cantera Negra Tequila

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ parts Cantera Negra Reposado Tequila
  • ½ part Cantera Negra Café
  • 2 dashes Chocolate bitters
  • Orange peel to garnish

Method:

Add ingredients into a mixing glass and stir with ice until chilled and diluted. Strain into a rocks glass over a large cube. Garnish with an orange peel.

Cantera Coffee

Cantera Negra Tequila
Cantera Negra Tequila

Ingredients:

  • 2 parts Cantera Negra Café
  • 1 part Cantera Negra Silver Tequila
  • Top hot coffee
  • Float heavy cream
  • Dusted cinnamon and/or espresso beans to garnish

Method:

Build in glass mug. Top with hot coffee and heavy cream floater. Garnish.

Café Helado

Cantera Negra Tequila
Cantera Negra Tequila

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ parts Rum
  • 1 part Cantera Negra Café
  • ½ part Banana Liqueur
  • 1 big scoop of Vanilla ice cream
  • Dark chocolate to garnish

Method:

Shake all ingredients together with ice until ice cream is all melted. Strain into a coupe glass. Grate dark chocolate on top with a microplane.

Gingerbread Café

Cantera Negra Tequila
Cantera Negra Tequila

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ parts Cantera Negra Reposado Tequila
  • ½ part Cantera Negra Café
  • 1 shot Espresso
  • ½ part Frangelico
  • ¼ part Gingerbread syrup (equal parts cinnamon syrup to ginger syrup)
  • Barspoon Crème fraiche
  • 2 dashes of Pecan bitters
  • Grated cinnamon garnish

Method:

Build in tin. Dry shake. Wet shake. Strain into Old Fashioned rocks glass (“served down”). Garnish.

Georgina Torbet
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Georgina Torbet is a cocktail enthusiast based in Berlin, with an ever-growing gin collection and a love for trying out new…
Flashy Independence Day cocktails from Deep Eddy Vodka
Red, white, blue, and refreshing
Festive Deep Eddy shot.

The Fourth of July is tomorrow and if you don't have a signature cocktail in order yet, fear not. We've got two festive recipes from a vodka brand worth trying out at home. They're cold, colorful, and refreshing, meaning they're more than welcome on a long summer weekend.

Deep Eddy set us up with pair of cocktails befitting of the weekend, each with a trio of colors and flavors. In the end, you're set up with a beverage that can handle even the hottest afternoon as you try out some easy grilling recipes. And you can dress them up any way you like, adding cool straws or garnishes.
Declaration on Ice

Read more
Pineapple cocktails are this summer’s hottest trend — these recipes are must-try
Tropical is the way to go for summer cocktails
A glass of pineapple Tiki style cocktail.

Over the last few years, the cocktail world has seen a number of massive trends. From espresso Martini recipes galore to the return of fun flavors like banana, there's been a lot of action behind the bar. After chatting with some industry folks, we're convinced one of the big cocktail flavors of summer 2025 is going to be pineapple.

Call it escapism or that long-standing love for all things tropical, whatever it may be, pineapple seems to be coming back yet again. Recently, it's shown up not just in the form of intriguing cocktail recipes but infused into liqueurs and even injected into beer. Looks like pineapple might just find a way into your favorite glass this summer.

Read more
This rosé sangria is the ultimate summer cocktail mashup
A refreshing Spanish-style bevy for summer
Sangria

Is there anything more summer than Rosé and Sangria? How about combining the two. This summer cocktail recipe is about as sunny as things get. And if you need a reason to celebrate, we've got a few.

For starters, the Fourth of July is just a few days away. Even if you're not big on the holiday, it falls on a summer weekend so that's kinda nice. Bastille Day is coming up, if that's more your speed. And the long mild days are always worth raising a glass to, in our opinion.

Read more