Alcohol combined with coffee is not uncommon. There are a lot of cocktails that are based on alcohol and coffee drink. But vodka is used less often than others, because most often it is consumed in shots. But this does not exclude the fact that such drinks exist, and many people like them.
What is the name of
A coffee drink with the addition of strong alcohol was originally prepared in Norway, adding a little moonshine. The home-made Norwegian cocktail is known as Karsk, and the version with purified vodka has different names.
In American bars, it is known to a narrow circle of guests under the characteristic name “black Russian”, and in domestic establishments it can be found as “Russian coffee”. To soften the taste, cream is added to the fortified cocktail.
A drink with a simple set of ingredients can be prepared even by novice bartenders. Also, coffee with vodka, if consumed in moderation, will be an original end to the evening for a friendly company.
Replacement or substitution?
Replacement and substitution are two completely different concepts.
Replacement is good, substitution is bad. Substitution is when a person who has quit drinking tries to reproduce his previous drunken life as accurately as possible. He drinks mineral water from glasses, convincing himself that it is vodka, experiments with brewing, trying to recreate the taste of cognac in tea. Substitution is a sign that a person regrets that he cannot drink like before. This often happens when people quit drinking under duress, rather than doing it consciously and voluntarily.
Replacement, unlike substitution, fills the vacuum without reminding one of drunkenness, and helps the former alcoholic adapt to the new conditions of sober life.
Effect of use
The coffee-alcoholic drink invigorates, improves mood, raises tone and gives the body strength. It is served to lift the mood during a house party or mass celebration. And consumption after a stormy feast will relieve the symptoms of a hangover.
Connoisseurs of the invigorating drink define two main rules for its use:
- when chilled, it is suitable for hot weather to invigorate and restore strength;
- Hot coffee with vodka easily warms the body in case of obvious malaise or hypothermia.
It is important to remember that the cocktail recipe contains strong alcohol, so there are individual contraindications to its use. Even if there are no restrictions on intake, you should not abuse the drink; in large quantities, vodka can cause harm to health. And its two main components are considered stimulants, as they increase blood pressure.
The combination of coffee and vodka – taste, consequences for the body
Depending on the volume of components, the taste may be slightly or strongly burning. To eliminate the unpleasant aftertaste, you need to take high-quality grains for brewing and use them in double quantity.
Additional ingredients will help avoid bitterness - spices, milk, whipped cream, condensed milk. If you add liqueurs instead of vodka, the alcohol will not be felt on the tongue, and the degree of intoxication will be less, since there are fewer degrees in sweet alcohol.
Caffeine stimulates brain activity, therefore it is a daily prevention of organic disorders that appear in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. If there is a genetic predisposition to these problems in the family, you can and even need to drink coffee.
It should be remembered that caffeine has a diuretic effect, which is enhanced by vodka. Therefore, in the morning you can wake up with a severe hangover due to dehydration. To prevent this from happening, you need to take care of yourself in advance - drink a glass of water before the cocktail and repeat this after the party.
Video: Recipe for a coffee drink with vodka “Black Widow”
Cooking features
The alcoholic coffee drink consists of a minimal set of ingredients, so it is easy to prepare at home. For best results, you must adhere to the basic cooking rules:
- To prevent the drink from turning out sour or having an unpleasant bitterness, it is better to add sugar or any other sweeteners to the composition.
- Espresso from a coffee machine is ideal as a base, as there is a high, strong crema on its surface. When brewing coffee in a Turk, you need to let the drink settle so as not to use grounds.
- For a variety of flavors, you can use flavored alcohol. It is better to take vodka with fruit additives and avoid pepper.
- In a chilled coffee drink, vodka is faintly perceived, but to avoid fusel impurities in the taste, it is better to add premium alcohol to the composition.
- Lemon slices or pieces of juicy lime will add a light refreshing sourness to the drink, and cream or condensed milk will make the taste softer and more pleasant. It is important not to add the milk and citrus components at the same time to prevent the milk proteins from curdling.
- Spices: grated ginger, vanilla, cardamom, cloves or cinnamon will add an oriental piquancy to your coffee. It is important not to overdo it so as not to overwhelm the rich coffee taste.
Correcting stereotypes
First of all, it is not the drinks themselves that need to be replaced, but the stereotypes of human behavior that need to be corrected.
Here's an example. Every day a man bought 4 liters of beer at the same kiosk, brought it home and drank it while sitting in front of the TV. Now he buys 4 liters of Coca-Cola every day at the same kiosk and drinks it in front of the TV instead of beer. In this case, the drink was replaced, but the behavior pattern remained the same. This is bad.
This behavior will not relieve tension in someone who has quit drinking. The stereotype urgently needs to be replaced. To do this, this patient must go to the supermarket (in no case to that kiosk), buy Coca-Cola for the whole week, put it in the refrigerator and drink it whenever he pleases, and not only in the evenings in front of the TV.
Thus, not only will the drink be replaced, but also the behavior stereotype will be completely replaced. We must always strive to ensure that the replacement of a stereotype is as complete as possible. Here is another example of a complete replacement: a patient during a period of drunkenness visited a bar every day on his way from work. Now he has stopped drinking and goes to the gym after work.
Often it is impossible to abandon a behavioral stereotype. This happens in cases where it concerns the stereotypes of an entire society, and not just the person who quit drinking. For example, people have a tradition of organizing drinking parties for holidays, weddings, and the arrival of guests. There is no escape from this, unless you introduce prohibition in the country.
What to do if a former alcoholic is forced to take part in a feast? It turns out there is nothing wrong with this. Those who quit drinking can safely celebrate with everyone else if they use the principle of maximum replacement. It is not enough to replace wine with juice and vodka with mineral water. Other attributes are also important.
We suggest you read: If an alcoholic is deprived of alcohol
For example, it is not recommended to pour grape juice into glasses intended for wine, and mineral water into vodka glasses. This seems like a small thing, but it imitates the process of drinking wine or vodka. As we already know, imitation is unacceptable. For a complete replacement, juice or water should be poured into a tall glass specially designed for non-alcoholic drinks, and feel free to use it while other guests are drinking from glasses and glasses.
So, here are the simple rules of conduct for someone who has quit drinking in a drinking party:
- If there is wine on the table, you need to use a completely different wine glass, filling it with a non-alcoholic drink, which is sharply different in color and taste from wine.
- If there is vodka on the table, it is best to replace it with some sweet fizzy drink (for example, lemonade), and, of course, drink from anything, but not from a glass.
- If guests drink beer from large wine glasses or beer mugs, they should drink mineral water, cola or juice directly from the neck of the bottle. If guests themselves prefer to drink beer from the bottle, then it is recommended to do the opposite - use a glass (wine glass).
A person who quits drinking must constantly make a challenge - yes, I’m not like that. Yes, I drink completely different drinks and in a completely different way!
The biggest mistake is to hide your aversion to alcohol from others, try to blend in with the company, become like your drinking neighbors, look for excuses and justifications for your sobriety, or even worse - feel guilty for not wanting to get drunk with everyone else.
Firstly, it’s stupid, because you won’t be able to hide anything anyway. Secondly, it is humiliating. And thirdly, such behavior indicates the wrong motivation of the person who quit drinking and increases the likelihood of a relapse.
And vice versa, when a former alcoholic does not consider his presence in a drunken company a problem, he feels free and relaxed, but unswervingly follows his own rule - to always remain absolutely sober, this indicates the correct motivation of the person and often evokes respect from others.
Classic recipe
Caffeine has an invigorating short-term effect during a hangover, after which a loss of energy sets in. In combination with vodka, a systematic dilation of blood vessels occurs and an improvement in well-being.
Need to:
- 2 tsp. without a slide of freshly ground coffee;
- 6 tsp. (30 ml) purified vodka;
- 1 tsp. with a pile of sugar;
- 100 ml filtered drinking water.
Recipe step by step:
- Pour freshly ground coffee with purified water and brew in any convenient way: in a coffee maker, coffee machine, Turk or saucepan.
- Remove the finished coffee from the heat, cool slightly for 2 minutes and pour in ice-cold vodka.
- After a minute, pour warm coffee into cups, sweeten and adjust the amount of alcohol to taste.
The drink can be served in glass glasses, sprinkled with grated nuts or powdered sugar if desired.
Replacing drinks in the first sober days
In the first days after quitting alcohol, patients experience difficult experiences associated with withdrawal syndrome. The desire to have a hangover can be irresistible. Replacing alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones will help reduce this desire and alleviate the patient's suffering. During this period, one must especially strictly adhere to the principle of “replacement, not substitution.”
You should not buy non-alcoholic beer as a substitute for regular beer. This will only increase the desire to get hungover. It is better to drink tea in large quantities or juice.
We suggest you read: What is the best alcohol for vodka?
Brine has long been known to vodka “lovers” as a good hangover cure. But consuming a lot of it is harmful. The correct way to drink brine is to drink it in portions of 50–100 ml. In this case, the daily dose should not exceed 0.5 l. Brine suppresses the desire to drink, but causes normal thirst due to the high concentration of salt. It can be quenched with the same tea (preferably green), dried fruit compote, and juices.
An alternative to brine is milk or kefir. They can be drunk in large quantities, but care must be taken not to cause intestinal upset.
About kvass
Kvass is an excellent ancient drink that has many valuable properties, but often has one significant drawback - it contains alcohol. The amount of alcohol in kvass can vary - from insignificant (this kvass is recommended even for children), to 0.5% -2% - such kvass can intoxicate anyone.
In the first days of abstinence from alcoholic beverages, drinking kvass is not recommended. But after about a month, kvass can be added to your diet. It can be a good replacement and help someone who quit drinking adapt to a new lifestyle. Kvass has a particularly beneficial effect on former beer lovers, and is perhaps the best replacement for them.
But you need to remember a very important rule - never drink kvass unless you are sure that it does not contain alcohol. As a rule, people who have had extensive experience of drinking are able to determine with one sip whether there is alcohol in kvass or not. A person who voluntarily and consciously stopped drinking alcoholic beverages will never drink kvass that contains even a small admixture of alcohol.
If someone who has quit drinking, on the contrary, is looking for kvass that contains more alcohol, this indicates his unwillingness to lead a sober lifestyle. Such a person will very soon return to binge drinking.
With liqueur
Thick liqueur will add piquancy to the cocktail and soften the taste. The drink tastes better when chilled, so you should prepare purified crushed ice for it.
Required:
- 50 ml premium vodka;
- 5 tsp. (25 ml) sweet coffee liqueur;
- 75-100 ml of brewed natural coffee;
- 3 ice cubes.
Step by step recipe:
- Pour vodka and coffee liqueur into a shaker.
- Add 2-3 ice cubes and beat the ingredients until smooth.
- The cocktail turns out very strong.
- Dilute the alcoholic mixture with prepared chilled coffee in a ratio of at least 1:1 or more.
Pour the cocktail into glasses and add a little cream when serving if desired. They will soften the taste and give the drink a pleasant milk chocolate color.
Coffee tincture with alcohol and beer
It is very simple to prepare this original drink with alcohol. The quantity and composition of additional ingredients can be adjusted at your own discretion.
For half a liter of alcohol you will need:
- dark porter beer (1 l);
- sugar (200 g);
- instant coffee (3 tsp);
- vanilla sugar (1 packet);
- honey (2 tbsp);
- I'm eating raisins.
To begin, the beer is poured into an enamel pan, sugar is added and heated over low heat to +40C, stirring continuously. After the sugar has completely dissolved, all other ingredients except alcohol are added to the beer and mixed thoroughly over the fire.
The resulting mixture is cooled, poured into a jar, alcohol is added and left for 2 weeks in a cool place. The finished tincture is filtered through cotton wool or gauze and bottled. Due to the inclusion of beer and honey in the recipe, the drink perfectly helps to cope with seasonal colds, coughs and inflammatory diseases.
To prepare coffee infusion, it is better to use dark porter beer.
Irish version
Traditional Irish coffee is made with whiskey. In the adapted recipe, you need to scald the cup with boiling water and wipe dry. Pour in 2 tsp. vodka and add 2 pieces of refined sugar. Stir the base until the sugar dissolves. Top up the container with strong double espresso. Place 2 tsp on the surface of the foam. whipped cream and coffee beans.
The spectacular drink can be prepared in layers, trying to maintain the line between sweet alcohol and thick coffee.
