Coffee Cocktail
ClassicA Victorian classic that looks like coffee and contains none — port, cognac and a whole egg.
Rich, silky and lightly sweet. Ruby port brings dark-berry fruit and cognac a warm, grapey depth, while the whole egg spins it into something custardy and plush, finished with a dusting of nutmeg. More dessert than digestif — decadent and old-fashioned in the best way.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Port Ruby
- 1 oz Cognac
- 1 Whole Egg
- 0.5 oz Simple Syrup
- Grated nutmeg · optional garnish
Method
- 1
Dry-shake the port, cognac, whole egg and simple syrup without ice to emulsify.
- 2
Add ice and shake again until well chilled.
- 3
Strain into a small chilled wine glass.
- 4
Grate fresh nutmeg over the top.
The Story
The Coffee Cocktail appears in Jerry Thomas's 1887 "Bar-Tender's Guide," and its name is a Victorian joke: it contains no coffee at all. The whole egg shaken with ruby port and brandy produces a drink the exact color and creamy head of a cup of coffee — hence the name. It was a fashionable pick-me-up of the era and remains a showpiece of the whole-egg cocktail tradition.
Recipe card
The whole recipe in one shareable image.
