Despite over half of American adults thinking it’s about time the sun sets on the practice of Daylight Saving Time (DST)1, we continue the dreaded cycle.
DST will start on Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 2:00 a.m. local time, setting clocks forward one hour. DST will end on Sunday, November 1, 2026, at 2:00 a.m. when clocks will be set back one hour.
This year, we’re employing a new technique to combat the DST sleep schedule confusion. Hint: it’s not getting outside more or gradually adjusting our wakeup time. Pft, boooooring! We’re talking about sipping more caffeinated cocktails.
If you’re on board with our strategy for powering through darker mornings and disrupted circadian rhythms, keep reading for the 10 coffee cocktails we’ll be enjoying when we desperately need a post-DST pick-me-up.
The classic. The OG. The GOAT. If you have one caffeinated cocktail in your arsenal this Daylight Saving season, let it be an Irish Coffee. It’s named for the Irish Cream and Irish whiskey that give this steamy sensation an extra kick. Slainte!
The Recipe
2 ounces Baileys Irish Cream
1 ounce Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey
6 ounces hot coffee
Add Irish cream, whiskey and coffee to a heat-safe mug. Top with Whipshots whipped cream.
For those who never drink coffee unless there’s a few pumps of flavored syrup inside, this is the espresso martini for you. The addition of Chambord Raspberry Liqueur adds a hint of sweet fruitiness that balances the bitter espresso beautifully.
The Recipe
1 ounce Chambord Raspberry Liqueur
1 ounce V5 Vodka
2 ounces espresso
Add Chambord, vodka and espresso to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a martini glass and garnish with a dehydrated orange slice.
Irish Coffees and espresso martinis aren’t the only caffeinated cocktails we’ll be sipping when DST has us nodding off. Try this twist on a Manhattan made with fresh espresso, a hint of coffee liqueur and rich, double oaked bourbon. Don’t forget to rub the orange twist around the rim of your glass to express the oils!
The Recipe
1 ounce fresh espresso, chilled
½ ounce Martini Sweet Vermouth
¼ ounce Cayman Reef Kona Coffee Liqueur or brown sugar syrup (optional, for sweetness)
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Add bourbon, espresso, vermouth, liqueur or syrup and bitters to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and double strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass. Express the oils from an orange peel over the cocktail and garnish with a cherry.
This is true for almost all cocktails, so listen up: if you’re not a fan of the drink’s base spirit, swap it for something else! You’re allowed! We promise!
The Recipe
1 ounce Don Julio Reposado Tequila
1 ounce espresso or cold brew concentrate
½ ounce simple syrup
Add liqueur, tequila and espresso/cold brew concentrate to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass.
...but there’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple. Did you know that the espresso martini was (allegedly) invented when a supermodel asked a bartender in a club in London to make her “Something to wake me up, then &%*$ me up”? He certainly hit the nail on the head.
½ ounce simple syrup (optional)
3 coffee beans
Add vodka, liqueur, espresso/cold brew and simple syrup to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with 3 coffee beans.
Love the idea of an Irish Coffee, but not a whiskey fan? Try it with gin instead in this earthy take on the classic brunch cocktail. Oh, and remember to pre-warm your glass mug before pouring hot coffee in it! Shattered glass is the last thing you want to deal with when your sleep schedule is already jacked.
The Recipe
1 ounce Empress 1908 Indigo Gin
½ ounce rich dark brown syrup*
4 ½ ounces strong brewed coffee
Heavy cream, lightly whipped
Freshly grated nutmeg
*Rich Dark Brown Syrup
½ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon vanilla
For the syrup: Add sugar, water and vanilla to a saucepan. Heat over medium-low until the sugar is fully dissolved. Once dissolved, remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool. Transfer the syrup to a container and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
For the cocktail: Add gin, syrup and brewed coffee to a pre-warmed, heat-safe glass mug and stir to combine. Lightly whip the heavy cream until it’s thick and fluffy. Slowly pour the cream over the back of a bar spoon to help keep the cream layer separate from the coffee. Top with freshly grated nutmeg.
If you prefer coffee as a note, but not the base of a drink, check this out. The addition of coffee bitters to this Old Fashioned variation adds just a touch of richness without overpowering the other ingredients. It’s a delicious solution to the struggle of Daylight Saving Time adjustments.
The Recipe
½ ounce simple syrup
2-3 dashes coffee bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
3 espresso beans
Combine bourbon, simple syrup and bitters in a mixing glass. Stir for thirty seconds or until the cocktail is properly diluted and well chilled. Strain over ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with chocolate shavings and/or 3 espresso beans.
This drink recipe couldn’t be simpler: just pour a little chocolate cream liqueur in your morning coffee for an extra delicious wake-up call. Listen, Daylight Saving Time always falls on a Sunday morning for a reason. You’re welcome.
The Recipe
2 ounces Mozart Chocolate Cream Liqueur
6 ounces hot coffee
Pour ingredients into a coffee mug and enjoy.
Coffee may be the last flavor you’d expect to taste in a negroni, but don’t knock it ‘til you try it. You know how chocolate and orange go so well together? Coffee and orange together aren't that different! The hint of coffee liqueur grounds the negroni’s bitter citrus notes in this perfectly balanced cocktail.
The Recipe
1 ½ ounces Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin
1 ounce Aperol Aperitivo
½ ounce Martini Sweet Vermouth
Add gin, Aperol, vermouth and liqueur to a mixing glass over ice. Stir until well chilled, then strain into a rocks glass over a fresh cube of ice. Garnish with an orange peel twist.
Just like cinnamon and chocolate, rum and coffee is a no-brainer pairing. Sweet spiciness and rich bitterness is always a dynamic duo. If you agree, try this Mexican Carajillo recipe made with triple-aged rum instead of the traditional Licor 43. We guarantee the result will be eye-opening.
The Recipe
1 ½ ounces Dos Maderas 5+5 Triple Aged Rum
2 ounces hot espresso
Coffee bean
Chill a rocks glass. Pour espresso into the glass over one large ice cube. Slowly pour rum on top. Garnish with a coffee bean.
Want to learn more about the quintessential caffeinated cocktail, the espresso martini? Check out the history and explosive popularity of everyone’s favorite martini (that’s not actually a martini).
