The most traditional combination of all is with vodka: take, for example the Espresso Martini, and all the variations on the theme, where the neutral nature of the spirit does not interfere with the flavour of the coffee, which tends to dominate. But rum is also used, adding its full flavour with a pleasant, slightly acidic note. And then of course there is the mix with Irish whiskey, which makes Irish Coffee.

“Coffee is an excellent basis for cocktails because it lets you try out combinations with acidic, aromatic spirits,” says barlady Virginia Ducceschi, who devised a cocktail with Mezcal and Ethiopian coffee: the “Five Continents” (Mezcal, Dom Benedectine, Ethiopian coffee, orange bitter, Muscovado sugar, cardamom berries and orange peel).

The idea of combining coffee and spirits has been rediscovered in recent years. Now, though, there is a better understanding of the properties of coffee as an ingredient and the various ways it can be extracted in addition to the espresso method. The process is similar to and indeed predates what has happened in the kitchen – not surprisingly, given that mixology and coffee drinking have always been found together in bars, albeit at different times of the day – and its complexity is being studied so that full advantage can be taken of its range of very different aromatic notes.

Cinzia Ferro, a barlady who owns the Estremadura Café in Verbania, focuses on another quite “powerful” facet of coffee. “The cultural aspect can be an excellent argument to use with customers when presenting the recipes involving it.” This could be at the bar, or on social media, where powerful images can be posted showing not just the cocktails but also the equipment used to extract the coffee, which is generally also very eye-catching.

The most recent evolution of coffee in mixology is Cold Brew. Here, the aroma is lighter and less intrusive, but it often enhances coffee’s more subtle accents (citrus, floral…), and thus offers bartenders plenty of creative scope.

Julius Meinl has been doing a lot of work in this area for some time. It proposes a special 100% Arabica blend from South America and India, with its sweet, elegant notes, as a mixer for revisitations of classic cocktails, such as the Meinl Gin & Tonic (gin, Cold Brew, tonic water, ice and lemon peel) and the non-alcoholic Coconut Delight (Cold Brew, ice, coconut syrup and cream). In addition, because the whole process can be quite eye-catching and visually striking, the company also offers a three-litre brewer in brushed steel, which becomes an attractive design feature of the establishment in its own right, ensuring that coffee is kept cold so that it is always served at the right temperature. It comes complete with trendy vase-like drinking glasses with little coasters that resemble pallets.

Meanwhile, the Australian company Maltra Foods has been working with natural (and often also vegan-friendly) syrups and aromas. “To counter the increasingly hectic pace of café life, we offer flavours that will attract people back.” One of its twenty products evoke the rich, wintertime notes of Irish Coffee, while others add coconut, macadamia, passion fruit or hazel nut to cocktails, mocktails and cold brews.