Oh, the weather outside may be frightful but there’s nothing like a warm, delicious cup of your favorite coffee drink to help with getting through cold winter days. Such coffee drinks are great because they not only taste fantastic but they also help with keeping a person warm from the inside out. Now we may be from Houston, but occasionally we have to deal with cold weather and we understand just what a difference the right cup of Joe can make! Here we’ll share 7 of our favorite coffee drinks to enjoy when the temperatures start to drop.

1. Mexican Mocha

The Mexican Mocha is a great option for cold days because it takes the sweet taste of a hot mocha latte and kicks it up a notch. Remember, a Mexican Mocha is made using a spiced cocoa, such as Nestle®’s popular Mexican-inspired option, Abuelita™. This is one you’re sure to love!

Ingredients:

• 6-8 oz milk
• ¼ tablet of Abuelita
• 1-2 oz espresso

Directions:

1. Brew a single or double shot of espresso, depending on how you like your drink
2. Steam your milk
3. Once the milk is hot, add the Abuelita tablet
4. Stir the milk until the Abuelita dissolves into the milk (there should be a bit of froth at this point as well)
5. Pour steamed, flavored milk over the espresso shot(s)
6. Garnish with whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and cinnamon red hot candies (optional)
7. Serve and/or enjoy!

Pro-Tip: For even more of a kick, add a pinch of sea salt followed by a pinch of cayenne pepper to your drink.

2. Hazelnut Espresso Macchiato

Espresso Macchiatos are another great cold weather option and hazelnut is the perfect flavor to make the drink all the more memorable.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz milk
• ¼ - ½ oz hazelnut syrup to taste
• 2 oz espresso

Directions:

1. Brew a double shot of espresso
2. Steam milk until you have a layer of foam
3. Pour steamed milk over espresso
4. Add hazelnut syrup
5. Stir gently
6. Scoop a dollop or two of foam over the top of the drink
7. Serve and/or enjoy!

3. Irish Cream Cappuccino

What makes cappuccinos a nice touch on a cold day is the stronger coffee flavor. There’s just something warm and inviting about the drink - especially with the right twist added to it. Irish Cream flavoring is a blend of nutty and chocolate flavors rounded out with a hint of vanilla. It is commonly thought of as a type of liqueur but regular flavor syrups are also available. You can even make your own Irish Cream at home if you like!

Ingredients:

• 4 oz milk
• ½ oz Irish Cream syrup
• 2 oz espresso

Directions:

1. Brew a double shot of espresso
2. Steam milk and froth until it becomes foamy
3. Pour a dash of the milk over the espresso
4. Add the Irish Cream syrup
5. Stir gently
6. Generously spoon milk foam over the top of the drink
7. Serve and/or enjoy!

Pro-Tip: If you can’t find an Irish Cream product you’re happy with, making your own really isn’t that difficult. It just takes a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder, heavy whipping cream, some condensed milk, a little bit of vanilla extract, and, if you want it, a serving of Irish whiskey.

4. Red Eye

The Red Eye might be the simplest drink on this list to make - but that certainly doesn’t mean it’s any less of a drink than any of these others! The Red Eye was created to be a real eye opener, so to speak. The popular story is that it was created to help passengers stay awake on long, overnight “red eye” flights. It’s merely a cup of black coffee with a shot of espresso added to it. Make the shot a double to really kick it into high gear, but do so at your own risk. Remember, some folks are more sensitive to caffeine than others.

5. Caramel Flat White

A flat white falls somewhere between a latte and a cappuccino in terms of flavor. It’s a nice combination of espresso and steamed milk and, in this case, tied together with a hint of caramel.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz milk
• ½ - 1 oz caramel syrup to taste
• 2 oz espresso

Directions:

1. Brew a double shot of espresso
2. Steam the milk until a layer of froth forms
3. Pour about half the milk over the espresso down the backside of a spoon
4. Add caramel syrup and stir gently
5. Spoon out milk foam to taste
6. Serve and/or enjoy!

Pro-Tip:To really bring out the caramel flavor of this drink, we recommend using our coffee from Chiapas Mexico - a smooth-body coffee with a complimentary flavor profile. While our Chiapas coffee may not be an espresso blend, it does boast hints of baker’s chocolate, rich vanilla, and clove, among other flavors that assimilate with and enhance the caramel.

6. Dirty Chai Latte

The Dirty Chai Latte is a bit different from all the others on this list. This one brings together hot tea and espresso for an interesting twist that’s perfect for staying warm on a cold day.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz hot chai tea
• 2 oz steamed milk
• 1-2 oz espresso to taste

Directions:

1. Brew hot chai tea and single or double shot of espresso
2. Steam milk until it begins to foam
3. Pour steamed milk over hot chai
4. Add espresso to taste
5. Stir gently
6. Serve and/or enjoy!

Pro-Tip: If you generally like sweetened or flavored coffee drinks, try adding just a dash of raw cane sugar to taste. Just go slowly when adding it because the chai already has a fairly robust flavor profile and you don’t want to overshadow it.

7. Straight Black Coffee

You know the phrase, “keep it simple”? Sometimes the best choice is the easiest to get to. There are so many fantastic ways to enjoy coffee and espresso that it gets easy to take the basics for granted. Each of these drinks - and countless others - certainly has its place, but nothing truly ever replaces the joy that comes with a simple cup of hot, freshly-brewed, black coffee.

Now if you happen to be one of those folks who doesn’t enjoy straight black coffee, you’re still among friends. There’s no shame in adding a dash of milk, cream, or sugar if that’s how you like it. It’s all about finding what you like!

Making the Most of Your Homemade Coffee Drinks

The coffee we enjoy at home has come a long way. It wasn’t so long ago that the vast majority of Americans would simply go to the supermarket and pick up a can of whatever happened to be on sale. Coffee was nothing more than a daily jolt of caffeine each morning. Fast forward to today. People are becoming more educated about coffee and appreciating quality products more than ever before. They’re trying new drinks, going to independent coffee shops, buying locally-roasted, fair trade beans, and making conscious decisions about coffee instead of simply falling into old habits. What has caused such a dramatic shift in attitudes and behaviors? We think that people have simply tasted the difference.

Now that more and more people are aware just how enjoyable coffee can be, they go out of their way to get a good product. If you want to make delicious coffee and espresso drinks at home, it all starts with using high-quality coffee. After all, that’s the base of your entire drink. If you cut corners there, how much hope do you really have for how your finished product will turn out?

How to Choose the Best Coffee

At DISTRICT Roasters, we strive to offer excellent coffees. It may sound simple, but we work tirelessly to seek out and maintain relationships with some of the best farmers across the globe in some of the regions best suited for growing superb coffee beans. We only source direct-trade, fair-trade, organic beans and then we roast them using tried and true roasting methods that we execute to the highest standards. We want to make it easy to have the best coffee of your life anytime you want it.

One way we do that very thing is by offering weekly and monthly coffee subscriptions. We’ve made it possible to set up recurring orders of our most popular options to ensure that you never run out. Just choose how frequently you’d like to receive your coffee and we’ll deliver it to your door accordingly. This is especially convenient in cold weather. After all, who wants to leave their toasty, warm home to go out for coffee when they could have their favorite product shipped right to their door? Sometimes, easier really is better.