Tag: kahlua

vodka

Colorado Bulldog

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A Colorado Bulldog is the perfect cocktail for coffee lovers. It tastes like a melted root beer float and is decant, yet simple.

The Colorado Bulldog is a new-to-me cocktail I’m so excited to share with y’all. I know I posted another dessert cocktail earlier this week, but I’m being honest when I say I’m not *usually* a sweet drink kinda gal. It’s just that I made a double-batch of homemade coffee liqueur so now I need want to use it. I have to be in the right mood for a sweet drink but a coffee-flavored sweet drink almost always sounds nice.

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A Colorado Bulldog is the perfect cocktail for coffee lovers. It tastes like a melted root beer float and is decant, yet simple.

I had never heard of a Colorado Bulldog until my Mother-in-Law told me about them. She’s the one I shared my first White Russian with and she told me about Colorado Bulldogs then. The recipe intrigued me but my husband and I try hard not to keep coke stocked in the fridge. If I’m feeling like a fizzy drink, an unsweetened flavored sparkling water is often enough to satiate that need. But man, sometimes you just need a COKE.

And when I say coke, what I mean is soda. I’m from the south where “coke” means anything from Dr. Pepper to cream soda to Fanta and to, of course, Coca Cola. Speaking of regional words, did you know that SOME people in this blessed country call sprinkles “jimmies”? JIMMIES, for cryin’ out loud! I can’t process that information.

But I digress. The Colorado Bulldog is a sweet sip that’s perfect for after dinner. It honestly tastes like a melted root beer float. Er, a melted Coke float. If you’re looking for a way to use up that Kahlua that’s been hanging out in your bar cart for ages, make yourself a Colorado Bulldog. I think you’ll like it.

The Ingredients

  • 1 oz coffee liqueur (homemade always tastes better!)
  • 1 oz vodka
  • 2 oz Coke
  • 2 oz half and half (the real recipe calls for heavy cream but I always have 1/2 & 1/2 in the fridge)

The How-To

Fill a low-ball glass or a taller, skinny glass (how’s that for bartender lingo) with ice. Pour in the ingredients in the order listed. Coffee liqueur–> vodka–>Coke–>half & half. Pouring the half & half in last keeps the drink from fizzing up too much. If you’ve ever made a rootbeer float, you’ve seen what happens when you add Coke to dairy. Big ol’ pillowy bubbles. Stir together until you get a beautiful café au lait color.

A Colorado Bulldog is the perfect cocktail for coffee lovers. It tastes like a melted root beer float and is decant, yet simple.
Homemade Kahlua
liqueur

Homemade Coffee Liqueur

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This homemade Kahlua, or coffee liqueur, is simple to make it at home. All you need is vodka, coffee, sugar, and vanilla.

If you love coffee and cocktails, you’re sure to enjoy a homemade coffee liqueur. And while you can certainly purchase yourself a bottle of Kahlua to enjoy at the ready, making your own DIY Kahlua tastes better and may even turn out cheaper, depending on the brand of vodka you use for the base.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. If you buy a product via my affiliate link, I will receive a commission. This is at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products I actually like! 

Don’t go using Grey Goose for this stuff. Stick to a cheaper brand or go for my personal favorite, Tito’s. I always buy the jumbo jug when I run out– it’s more cost-effective to get the 1.75L bottle, trust me. Vodka is my go-to liquor for jam cocktails and for making my own infusions, like vanilla bean vodka and cinnamon vodka. If you have more on hand, you’ll be more likely to experiment with it. Or drink it. Or both.

Coffee liqueur historically is made with rum but I prefer using vodka. Rum, in my opinion, makes it a touch too sweet. And you’ll see from the recipe that there’s already plenty of sugar. I don’t want the sweetness totally masking the taste of the coffee. Many homemade coffee liqueur recipes also call for instant coffee. Sorry. Can’t abide coffee granules. I’ve gotta use the real deal.

As with all recipes, using fresh vanilla beans is always best. But, they’re a bit expensive. And, using fresh vanilla bean means you’ll have to wait at least 2 weeks before you can enjoy your homemade coffee liqueur. I opted to use vanilla extract that a friend brought me back from Haiti. It’s pretty dang good.

DIY coffee liqueur is simple to make it at home. All you need is vodka, coffee, sugar, and vanilla.

Coffee liqueur can be enjoyed by itself over ice, in a White Russian, a Colorado Bulldog, in your coffee, etc. There are even some amazing banana bread recipes out there that call for Kahlua, although I’ve never made any myself. I doubled the recipe when I made it yesterday so my home is overflowing with this intoxicating coffee nectar. Looks like I’ll be trying all these recipes. OH. Brilliant idea. Bananas foster with coffee liqueur! Oh my gosh. Yes. Gonna be making that.

Homemade Kahlua, or coffee liqueur, is simple to make it at home. My favorite way to enjoy coffee liqueur is in a White Russian.
The White Russian- my favorite way to enjoy coffee liqueur.

The Ingredients for Homemade Coffee Liqueur

  • 1 cup of STRONG freshly-brewed coffee — I should’ve added an extra scoop or two of grounds when I made the coffee but alas, I was using what I had leftover in the pot from my afternoon pick-me-up
  • 1 cup of vodka
  • 2 cups of sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract OR a 1-inch section of fresh vanilla bean (must age for 2-4 weeks)

The How-To

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and heat until all the sugar is dissolved. Let it cool slightly before pouring it into a container. If you don’t have a funnel, invest it one. It will make your life so much easier & cleaner. I used an old glass juice bottle. You could also use mason jars. Just make sure it’s something that can seal tightly. You don’t need to refrigerate it. Your coffee liqueur will last a looong time (thanks to the alcohol and all that sugar). But really, don’t drink it after like, 2 years. Just to be safe.

Royal Rose - Organic Simple Syrup