close

Behind the Cup , Product Spotlight |December 16, 2020

5 Super Satisfying Holiday Espresso Roast Coffee Drinks

Christmas is my favorite Holiday hands down, and special dinners, drinks, decorations, and Holiday music take over my house for at least four weeks every year.  Today, I’d like to show you some unique holiday coffee drinks using our 100% Kona coffee espresso roast.

Now that my kids are grown, and returning home for a brief period during the season, we want to savor that time even more and make as many special memories as possible. Sharing a holiday coffee drink is a positive step toward adulthood. 

So today,  I present FIVE of my favorite holiday coffee creations to stay warm and cozy throughout the yuletide season.  Although I live in Hawaii, my house is at the 3,000-foot elevation, and mornings and evenings can dip down to the low 60’s or high 50’s. That’s flannel and sweatpants weather for us. (Somewhere in Minnesota, someone read that and laughed out loud as they looked at minus 30 on the morning news. Sorry.) It’s all what you are used to. It may sound like a spring day to you but for us, the low 60’s is very cold and the mid to high 50’s is near freezing.

So yes, warm beverages can still be a magical comfort in Hawaii.
For all of these drinks below, I use Greenwell Farms 100% Kona Espresso Roast. This is our darkest roast (French roasted) and the flavors are bold, smoky-sweet, but still smooth as silk. You can substitute your favorite coffees, but my recipe ratios are based on that coffee. The deep, rich flavors of French roasted coffee stand up well to all of the additions that we are adding to our concoctions below.

I don’t love super sweet coffee drinks, so feel free to sweeten more as needed. I am always going to err on the side of less sweet than more, although I know that many prefer much more sweetener than I have in my recipes. Adjust to your taste.

1. The Peppermint Mocha Extraordinaire

Mint and chocolate are the hallmarks of the Holiday season so let’s start off with a drink that will give you a one-way rocket trip to Holiday Bliss while checking all of the yuletide flavor boxes.  

Makes 2 Servings

You will need:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup of half and half
5 tablespoons sugar
1.5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
12 ounces brewed Greenwell Farms Espresso Roast (16:1)
1 teaspoon mint extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 squares of Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark
whipped cream

In a small saucepan, add milk, half and half, cocoa powder and sugar, and five squares of peppermint bark. Heat over medium until small bubbles begin to form around the edge and sugar and bark have dissolved. Whisk well.

Stir in coffee, mint extract, and vanilla and remove from heat. 

Serve in a large mug and top with whipped cream and shave the last square of peppermint bark over the whipped cream. 

2. The Gingerbread Latte Da

Nothing warms the house like the smell of gingerbread cookies wafting through the air. It’s such a lovely scent! This will be the best Gingerbread Latte you have ever had.

You will need:

To Make the Syrup:
3 tablespoons of lightly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
¾ cup water
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Drink (Makes 2 Servings):

6 tablespoons gingerbread Syrup
4 shots espresso (6 ounces total)
1.5 cups 2% milk
freshly grated nutmeg
whipped cream

In a medium saucepan, make the syrup by adding sugars, molasses, water, spices, and vanilla. Bring to a soft boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain into a jar. This is your gingerbread syrup. Shake well before use and store in the refrigerator for as long as you need.

To make the drink:

In two 8 ounce coffee cups, fill each with 3 ounces of Greenwell Farms Espresso Roast. (Espresso shots are best but if you don’t have an espresso maker, strong brewed coffee works well.) Add three tablespoons of gingerbread syrup to each mug. Froth milk and add foam to the coffee mix.

(For a quick tutorial on frothing milk without an espresso machine click here).

Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

3. Luck of the Irish Coffee

I am a long-time fan of Irish Coffee and this recipe is simple, yet perfect. The maple syrup and the irish cream add immense complexity to the drink and there is a good chance this will become your new favorite Christmas Eve beverage.

You will need:
1 finger of Irish whiskey per glass
1 finger of Baileys Irish Cream per glass
1 tablespoon of real maple syrup
Greenwell Farms Espresso Roast Brewed Coffee
whipped cream

I like to French press my coffee (4-minute extraction) for more body and a richer flavor.  Add whiskey ( I use Jameson’s) Bailey’s, and maple syrup to the mugs and stir well with a spoon.

When your coffee is ready, add to the mugs and top with whipped cream.

4. Eggy Noggy Latte

This is a “don’t knock it ‘till you try it” kind of combo that tastes much better than it sounds. In fact, it tastes amazing! If you are a fan of eggnog and you love coffee, the two go together quite well.

Makes 2 Servings

You will need:
2 cups of store-bought eggnog
3 ounces of Greenwell Farms Espresso ( I make this in a Moka Pot, but a shot of espresso is perfect as well.)
1/2 cup of whole milk
nutmeg

Froth milk and eggnog together, then heat. See the link above for frothing tips.

Put a 1.5 ounce shot of espresso in each mug, add heated eggnog/milk mix. Top with a sprinkle of nutmeg.

5. Creme Brûlée Holiday Coffee

I’m including this one because it is my daughter’s favorite. We used to make real crème brûlée together and when she found out there was a drink with the same flavors she was sold.  It is on the sweeter side but certainly tastes great.

Makes 2 servings

You will need:

Double shot of Greenwell Farms Espresso roast (3 ounces per cup). If you don’t have an espresso maker you can brew this coffee as normal but with a 15:1 ratio.

caramel sauce (You can make your own, but we use Smucker’s Caramel sauce and it makes it really easy. I imagine any caramel sauce will work.)
vanilla extract
milk 
English toffee
whipped cream

Add to saucepan 6 tablespoons caramel sauce, a splash of vanilla extract, and 1 cup of milk. Whisk well and bring to a simmer.
Brew 6 ounces of Greenwell Farms Espresso roast and put in 3 ounces in each mug. Add caramel mixture to the coffee and stir well.

Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with toffee bits.

Enjoy and let me know how they turned out!

From all of us here at Greenwell Farms, we wish you all peace and joy throughout the Holiday Season and a fantastic 2021! Aloha!

Explore Related Blogs

Wow Mom This Mother's Day with Greenwell Farms

Behind the Cup April 25, 2023

Wow Mom With These Mother’s Day Gifts

The word “mom” is a palindrome, meaning it’s the same forwards and backwards. When you flip it upside down, it becomes “wow,” a word that...
Coffee Knowledge Portal

Behind the Cup , The Art of Making Coffee November 3, 2022

The Coffee Knowledge Portal

This is a blog you can send to your coffee-loving friends that will give them access to all of the different angles we have covered....
Coffee Guru

Behind the Cup October 5, 2022

Coffee Gurus That Will Guide You On A Path To Better Coffee

I’m really excited to share this blog with you all today because you are about to meet some of the fine individuals that shaped my...
Join Our Newsletter
Thank You!

Thank you for signing up for our newsletter.

Opps!

Something is wrong. Please try again later.