Garnish:
Dust with freshly grated nutmeg
How to make:
SHAKE all ingredients with ice and strain back into shaker. DRY SHAKE (without ice) and fine strain into chilled glass.
2 fl oz | Tawny port |
1 fl oz | Cognac (brandy) |
1/2 fl oz | Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water, 65.0°Brix) |
1 fresh | Egg (white & yolk) |
Read about cocktail measures and measuring.

Hazardous ingredients
Egg (white & yolk) is potentially hazardous to those with allergy or intolerance.
Review:
As the 1887 edition of the Professor's book says, "The name of this drink is a misnomer, as coffee and bitters are not to be found among its ingredients, but it looks like coffee when it has been properly concocted."
History:
Adapted from a recipe in the posthumously published 1887 Jerry Thomas' Bar-tenders Guide (Jerry "The Professor" Thomas died 15th December 1885).
Coffee Cocktail.
Jerry Thomas' Bar-tenders Guide, 1887
(Use a large bar-glass.)
Take 1 tea-spoonful powdered white sugar.
1 fresh egg.
1 large wine-glass of port wine.
1 pony of brandy.
2 or 3 lumps of ice.
Break the egg into the glass, put the sugar, and lastly the port wine, brandy and ice.
Shake up very thoroughly and strain into a medium bar goblet. Grate a little nutmeg on top before serving.
The name of this drink is a misnomer, as coffee and bitters are not to be found among its ingredients, but it looks like coffee when it has been properly connected, and hence probably its name.
Alcohol content:
- 1.4 standard drinks
- 18.43% alc./vol. (36.86° proof)
- 19.4 grams of pure alcohol
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