Cold Brew Cocktails & Mocktails: 10 Drinks for House Parties

A cold brew cocktail turns simple cold brew coffee into a party drink. Whether you pour spirits or skip the alcohol entirely, cold brew concentrate is the secret base. This guide covers 5 cocktails with Indian-favourite spirits and 5 mocktails that anyone can enjoy. All ten drinks work perfectly for house parties.

5 Cold Brew Cocktails

These five cold brew cocktails use spirits that are popular in Indian house parties — Old Monk, vodka, bourbon, Kahlua, and whiskey. Each recipe takes under 2 minutes. All use cold brew concentrate as the coffee base. The concentrate must be strong to hold its own against the alcohol.

1. Espresso Martini

The most famous coffee cocktail in the world. Clean, strong, and impressive.

• 60ml vodka
• 30ml cold brew concentrate
• 15ml Kahlua
• 15ml simple syrup

Shake all ingredients hard with ice for 15 seconds. Strain into a martini glass. The shaking creates the signature foam on top. Garnish with 3 coffee beans if you have them.

2. Old Monk Cold Brew

India's most loved rum meets smooth cold brew. This drink is pure nostalgia with a caffeine kick.

• 60ml Old Monk rum
• 100ml cold brew concentrate
• 30ml coconut cream
• Ice cubes

Fill a glass with ice. Pour cold brew and rum. Float coconut cream on top. The tropical coconut and dark rum with coffee is a combination that works surprisingly well. Stir before drinking.

3. Bourbon Cold Brew

Bourbon's caramel and vanilla notes pair naturally with cold brew's chocolate undertones.

• 60ml bourbon
• 100ml cold brew concentrate
• 15ml maple syrup (or honey)
• Orange peel strip

Stir bourbon, cold brew, and syrup over ice. Express the orange peel over the glass by squeezing it skin-side down. Drop it in. The citrus oil lifts the whole drink.

4. Kahlua Cold Brew on the Rocks

The simplest coffee cocktail. Two ingredients. Thirty seconds.

• 45ml Kahlua
• 120ml cold brew (diluted is fine here — Kahlua adds sweetness and body)
• Ice cubes

Pour Kahlua over ice. Add cold brew. Stir once. This is the drink for people who want coffee flavour amplified. Kahlua is already coffee-flavoured, so you get double the coffee depth.

5. Irish Cold Brew

A cold version of the classic Irish Coffee. Whiskey, cold brew, and a cream float.

• 45ml Irish whiskey (Jameson works well)
• 120ml cold brew concentrate
• 15ml simple syrup
• 30ml heavy cream (lightly whipped)

Mix whiskey, cold brew, and syrup over ice. Float lightly whipped cream on top using the back of a spoon. Sip the cold brew through the cream layer.

5 Cold Brew Mocktails

These five cold brew mocktails deliver party-worthy flavour without alcohol. Each one has an Indian twist that makes it stand out from standard cafe drinks. Serve them alongside the cocktails — your non-drinking guests will not feel like they are missing out.

6. Cold Brew Float

The easiest crowd-pleaser. One scoop of vanilla ice cream in a glass, cold brew poured on top. The ice cream melts into a creamy, sweet pool. Adults and kids both love it. Use Amul or Kwality Walls vanilla.

7. Cold Brew Lassi

Mix 100ml cold brew concentrate with 100ml fresh curd, 2 teaspoons sugar, and a pinch of cardamom. Blend with ice for 20 seconds. You get probiotics from the curd and caffeine from the cold brew. It tastes like lassi met coffee and they got along perfectly.

8. Thandai Cold Brew

Perfect for Holi parties. Mix 2 tablespoons thandai concentrate (Mala's or MDH) with 100ml cold milk and 80ml cold brew concentrate. The almonds, fennel, and rose in thandai create a complex flavour that pairs beautifully with coffee. Serve in kulhads for extra points.

9. Cold Brew Soda

The zero-calorie option. 100ml cold brew concentrate + 100ml soda water + squeeze of lime. Fizzy, bright, refreshing. No sugar needed — the lime and bubbles make it interesting enough on their own.

10. Virgin Espresso Martini

All the drama of a cocktail,

How to Set Up a Cold Brew Bar at Home

A cold brew bar at a house party lets guests customise their own drinks. Brew a large batch of concentrate, set out mixers and garnishes, and let people experiment. It is interactive, low-effort for the host, and always a conversation starter.

What you need:

• Cold brew concentrate: 1 litre (brew in the InstaCuppa 2.2L Cold Brew Maker — one batch gives you more than enough)
• Spirits (optional): Old Monk, vodka, bourbon, Kahlua
• Mixers: Tonic water, ginger ale, soda water, milk, coconut cream
• Sweeteners: Simple syrup, honey, jagg
  Set everything on a kitchen counter or side table. Put the cold brew in a pitcher with a pour spout. Group the spirits together, mixers together, and garnishes in small bowls. Guests figure it out quickly.
  ery syrup
• Garnishes: Orange peels, lime wedges, cinnamon sticks, coffee beans, mint leaves
• Ice: Lots of it. More than you think.
• Recipe cards: Print the 10 recipes above on small cards and place them next to the bar

Set everything on a kitchen counter or side table. Put the cold brew in a pitcher with a pour spout. Group the spirits together, mixers together, and garnishes in small bowls. Guests figure it out quickly.

Cold Brew Concentrate Is the Key

Cold brew concentrate made at a 1:5 coffee-to-water ratio is the foundation for every drink on this list. Regular diluted cold brew is too weak — spirits and mixers overpower the coffee flavour. Concentrate holds its own against any mixer, spirit, or sweetener you add.

How to make enough for a party:

1. Use 150g coarsely ground coffee in the InstaCuppa 2.2L Cold Brew Maker.
2. Add 750ml cold filtered water.
3. Steep in the fridge for 18-24 hours.
4. Remove the filter. You have about 700ml of strong concentrate.
5. This makes 15-20 cocktails or mocktails depending on recipes.

Brew the concentrate a day before the party. It stays fresh in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. So you can even brew it a week ahead if you are planning in advance.

Party planning tip: Count 2 drinks per guest for a 3-4 hour party. For 10 guests, that is 20 drinks — exactly what one batch of concentrate makes.