Mixing Coffee and Coke – It’s Not as Weird as You Think!

How to Combine Coke with Coffee

Mixing coffee and Coke isn’t as ridiculous as it sounds. They’re both caffeinated, brown liquids that are delicious. This unique beverage combination can definitely provide both refreshment and energy once you learn to truly appreciate it!

Of course, the process of combining coffee with various drinks and foods isn’t anything new. After all, you can buy chocolate, toffee, ice cream, and other foods that are coffee flavored.  Coffee’s versatility is truly quite impressive. In Mexico, it is consumed with mezcal and tequila. In Italy, they mix it with grappa. Whiskey and coffee are sometimes mixed in Ireland. In France, they mix it with cognac. Coffee also is sometimes used in barbecue sauces (see Austin’s recipe for Franklin BBQ) and brisket rub. People in Australia have taken coffee combinations to a new level- sometimes mixing it with prosecco.  But, really…coffee and Coca-Cola? 

The Coffee-and-Coke Combo Has Been Attempted by Coca-Cola Before…and Is Being Attempted Again!

In 2006, Coca-Cola launched a new product in the United States, Coca-Cola Blak. This product was a variation of original Coke that tasted like coffee. It didn’t go over well with the public though and, two years later, Coca-Cola opted to discontinue production of the drink. However, thanks to modern trends and evolving pallettes, the Coca-Cola Company believes that another attempt at this beverage is worth a shot. So they’ve decided to relaunch Blak, but with a new twist. The product has now been released in several countries, including Poland, Thailand, Spain, Italy, and Australia, and is instead known as Coca-Cola Plus Coffee or Coca-Cola with Coffee. This beverage has a higher amount of coffee than its predecessor, giving it a bit of an extra bang.

The initial response seems to be pretty positive. Throughout the coming years, Coca-Cola says it eventually intends to release the drink in 25 more countries, but has no immediate plans to relaunch Coca-Cola Plus Coffee in the United States.

This drink has a flavor that resembles a candy that tastes like coffee. The sweetness of this drink is on par with regular Coke, but its the caffeine kick that truly separates the two drinks.  Also, while Coca Cola Blak had distinctly packaging evoking coffee, Coca-Cola Plus Coffee’s packaging much more resembles that of a normal coke.

As of late, there has been a splintering effect taking place amongst consumer tastes and the beverage landscape has changed tremendously since Blak was first launched,  People are increasingly conscious about their sugar intake, choosing other beverages like seltzer and water instead of Coke for an energy kick. People are also getting used to categories that blur existing categories or can’t be placed into a single category very neatly, such as with tea-juice blends or sparkling juices.

Coca-Cola endeavors to cater to everyone, investing in a variety of different products to do so.  However, Coca-Cola’s most profitable product remains Coke, so it’s not a longshot to think that Coca-Cola Plus Coffee could conceivably be popular with a large number of people. One would think that there will at least be a consumer segment wanting to give this product a shot.

How Should I Mix Coke with Coffee at Home?

Picking the right coffee goes a long way when pairing it with coke.  Generally, dark roasts with deeper notes of chocolate and caramel are a safe bet.  Recently, I tried a Guatemala Waykan that ended up complementing Coca-Cola quite well due to its nuanced notes of cocoa, toffee, and almond and these are generally the types of notes you are looking for when pairing with Coca-cola.  If done right, the combination comes out more refreshing than coffee but easier on the palette than Coke.

And while Coca-Cola might be the go-to cola/coffee combination, a number of other variations exist utilizing Dr. Pepper, Cream Soda, and even Root Beer (we show how to make some of these below!). Each time, these unique combos managed to surprise me with how well they worked together.  Of course, the outcome of every drink is going to be contingent on the quality of the coffee used as well as the brewing method. I tend to think that espresso synergizes particularly nicely with Coca-Cola as it highlights the caramel taste found in Coke (more so than in Diet Coke). Just be sure you are using the right ratio of cola to coffee- read on for details!

But coffee combinations aren’t appealing to everyone, though. And as intriguing as these combinations are, creating the right concoction for you requires a bit of experimentation. How should you prepare the coffee? Cold brew? Espresso? What ratio of coffee to cola will you use? Will you be adding other ingredients?Some choose to pour hot espresso into a small cup before rounding it out with Coke, while others prefer the combination of cold brew and Diet Coke. There are even coffee loves out there who drip fresh coffee into a partially-empty Coke bottle with a funnel.

There is no universal method for mixing the two drinks, but we can offer a few pointers.  Check out recipes shown below. The taste of these drinks is great, but the fun of creating them is another upside. You’ll get a good drink if you stick to recipes- but you might get an even better one if you tweak the rules a bit. Ultimately, the choice is yours.

4 Recipes for Mixing Coke and Coffee!