Pondering my own question and wondering if some of the coffee flavoring syrups might be an option. I so far have resisted them because they are just sugar syrup with flavoring added. I really don't like artificial flavorings, they leave a chemical taste in my mouth. Wondering how to infuse my own sugar syrups. I've done it with herbs but that's not really for coffee. A vanilla bean would be easy, wondering about maybe using high quality coffee beans, or somehow chocolate. Not sure how to keep chocolate incorporated . . . maybe use some baking chocolate and make kind of a syrup?

We just tried a sugar free gingerbread coffee syrup that is really good. There are tons of flavours of sugar free syrups. They are relatively cheap at Homesense or restaurant supply places. Unfortunately you won't get a "kick" from them.

Coffee syrup is easy. Brew your coffee good and strong. You can even steam off some of the water. Boil it in a saucepan, stirring, 1:1 until the sugar is completely melted and reduce to the consistency you want.

i don't know how that will improve yucky coffee though.

I'm allergic to artificial sweeteners so can't go sugar free unfortunately. Makes me sick to my stomach and gives me a headache.

Vanilla syrup would be pretty easy to make, not so sure about chocolate. The artificial hazelnut that I have right now is really blech.

Can you use hazelnut liqueur? Why make chocolate syrup when you can buy good quality? I haven’t tried it, but here’s a recipe using whole nuts. “Rapadura” is panela/piloncillo, but you can use other kinds of sugar. https://www.keeperofthekitchen.com/2013/05/04/home-made-hazelnut-syrup/

https://aseasyasapplepie.com/homemade-baileys-irish-cream/

I don't have the money to spend on expensive high quality liqueurs. That's why I posted, for some home made recipe ideas . . . I might try with some hazelnuts. It's really hard to get the skins off though, I've tried before. Usually with most recipes I just leave them on, but for liqueur I think that would be a bit of a bitterness problem . . .I agree with the blogger on the link Pllog shared, the creamers and commercial syrups taste chemical to me, irritate my headaches and stomach for some reason.

That recipe sounds doable Fun. Have you tried it? Has anyone made it? It's going to be "interesting" experimenting. So far, heavy cream with brown sugar has been the least irritating. I don't have chocolate syrup right now, but lots of baker's chocolate. Wondering if there would be a problem melting it in with cream and sugar to make a flavored cream. Wondering about keeping qualities . . .

An in between approach to the hazelnuts would be hazelnut butter. You can fet it with no other ingredients. I agree tyat peeling them is a pain, but that's often the trade-off, money or labor.

Lol, husband drinks coffee like that. He's into pourover lately and I swear he uses the same amount of grounds as a 12 c Mr Coffee.

I used to make liqueurs a lot. And coffee syrup...just caramelized sugar and water. I'm sure I have used White Christmas (brandy + rum and cheap) in the Irish Cream and it was fine. You could lose the almond, but I don't remember it being that almond-y. I'll add a couple more I really liked. This kahlua is cheap to make (I think I used Folger's Crystals) and at the fair it got a blue ribbon... beat foofoo kahluas made with vanilla beans and expensive brandy. The orange chocolate cream is really good if you like orange and chocolate together. I've switched to yerba mate on advice of a naturopath I saw for awhile, but that orange chocolate would be good sipping alone.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Irish Cream

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00

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Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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1 3/4 cups Irish whiskey
1 can sweetened condensed milk -- * see note
1 cup light cream
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
2 teaspoons instant coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
4 eggs or egg substitute

Blend together on low. * Homemade sweetened condensed milk: Heat and stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved: 1 1/2 c. sugar, 2/3 c. evaporated milk, 4 Tb. butter. Make about 1 1/2 c. (1 can=1 1/4 c.)

* Exported from MasterCook *

Kahlua

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Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 cup instant coffee -- good quality
1 fifth 100 proof vodka
3 tablespoons vanilla

Bring water, sugar and coffee to a boil. Add vodka and vanilla. Best if aged at least 2 weeks.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Orange Chocolate Cream

Recipe By :

Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

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1 1/2 cups brandy, scotch or whiskey
1 can sweetened condensed milk -- * see note
3 tablespoons chocolate syrup -- or more
1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract
1 cup cream or evaporated milk
3 eggs or egg substitute

Blend liquor, condensed milk and flavorings on low. Blend in cream, then eggs.

*Homemade sweetened condensed milk: Heat and stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved: 1 1/2 c. sugar, 2/3 c. evaporated milk, 4 Tb. butter. (1 can=1 1/4 c.)

I find a spoonful of AnnT's caramel sauce is lovely in my coffee. And if you are looking for a bit of an alcoholic jolt just add a bit of vodka...or cheap brandy or rum.
Recipe is...1 cup white sugar, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup of butter, one cup of heavy....mix and stir slowly over a low heat until it bubbles adn cook for about 5 minutes....add a couple of teaspoons of vanilla extract after it cools a little bit.
I have a friend who shakes a little cinnamon into the basket with the groounds....and sometimes a little bit of cocoa powder.

What a wonderful opportunity, lpink! The next time someone wants to buy you a gift and asks what you want, tell them a pound of good coffee and a bottle of Bailey’s!

DH and I do not like the same coffee - strength, brand, type, you name it. I bought one of these so I could make a cup exactly like I wanted it. I would post the link but I think that sometimes causes problems. However, I believe you can glean enough information from the picture to find it on your own. The filters that are inserted are also sold at the grocery store.

pink mountain, I am not quite sure what it is that you are asking.

Are you trying to make your own liquor to put in your coffee? Are you looking for a way to mix alcohol and caffeine?

Do you like coffee? If so, why don't you just buy yourself some better coffee and leave him to his bitter sludge?

Sorry, but having a little something in the coffee to enhance the caffeine is what my sister does. And I am concerned for her.

Am I misunderstanding your post?

Maybe just a better quality coffee would be more enjoyable.

If you need a shot of alcohol with your coffee, why not just an honest shot of something along with the coffee?

I offer my apologies if I have misunderstood your post.

Simple black coffee is the way I roll. We bought one brand of coffee for years until it suddenly began to brew up bitter. Since we changed nothing about how we made our coffee, we could logically conclude that it was the coffee that changed. So, we changed coffee brands and are much happier. We now use Peets and have experimented with a couple of others.

Coffee is expensive! And, I hear that it is only to get more so, due to climate change.

Maybe you just need a better cup of coffee.

My sister will often have mimosas by at least mid morning. I worry about that.

Bbstx, I like pour over coffee and I have one of those one cup pour overs like that. One problem is that it does not always hold the hot water in the grinds long enough sometimes and the coffee comes out weak. That advice to let the grinds soak up some water before the rest of the water gets poured through is good advice. It is a bit like watering a dry house plant. The water runs out the bottom of the planter because the soil is dry. It seems to be the same thing happening.

Pour over is my favorite method. But I do think it works better in a larger pot. I do like my little pour over, though.

Clarification—I meant the hazelnut liqueur as a substitute for extract in making your syrup. That is, a method that would extend it, over using it directly, and more of it.

I think Fun’s link sounds good too.

I think that’s the perfect way to start the day. But I don’t like sweet coffees, so I’m not qualified to comment on adding flavorings. But, if my brew ends up being a little too bitter, I have found that just a bit of salt helps. And I mean a small amount, like 3 grains of a course salt, is enough. So maybe add that as a component and see how it changes things?

Many years ago, a Grad. Student (perhaps from Belgium) brought some bitters to our work. No one wanted the bottle so I took it and found that many people used a small splash in their coffee. It turned out to be a good idea and I used the whole bottle in a couple years. I now see they are used in a proper Manhattan, but I don't drink.

A few drops of bitters in your morning coffee can perk up a
cup—especially if you like to stir in milk, cream, and/or sugar. The
bitters help balance out the sweetness from the dairy and sugar. Just
keep in mind that the bitters should enhance, not overpower the coffee.
Because coffee (and especially espresso) is bitter by nature, it's easy
to overdo it with bitters.

The above is from THIS https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/how-to-use-bitters link. I do use cream and sugar but I believe bitters are also appreciated in black coffee.

I have a pour over coffee maker and used to do that exclusively when I lived by myself for 30 years. Good cost-effective coffee is a subject for perhaps another post. Coffee like most agricultural products is facing changes and challenges. Subject for another post.

Don't worry, I can't afford to drink too much, even the cheap stuff. The "Cooking" portion of my post is what I'm interested in. Real liqueurs are expensive, and the cheaper stuff gives off a chemical taste that I don't like. So I'm looking for cost-effective ways to make my own stuff. I've made herbal liqueurs and syrups, similar to what is known as "bitters." I can't afford to buy the reals stuff, but am game to experiment with making my own . . .

Today I tried a mix of hot chocolate powder, dark brown sugar, vanilla sugar and espresso powder, with half and half and a TBLSP of brandy. It was pretty close to good. A titch too sweet, so next time just cocoa powder. I tried popping a few almonds in the bottom of the cup but that didn't give it the nut taste component. I think peach pits or some other type of fruit pit is used to do almond flavoring anyway . . .

I certainly should try KatieC's prize winning secrets shouldn't I!! As a side note, one of the best attended and most fun programs I ever did at the Arboretum where I worked was "herbal liqueurs." Flavored booze is a perfect pandemic project!!

You have to bust up nuts and expose their inner bits to make an infusion work. I think they also have to steep longer. You might try breaking up a handful of nuts and letting them sit in some vodka, brandy or rum for a good long while, and strain them out once you get a flavor you like. You could then add a bit to your mix, or with it in your coffee.

I would still want to have the good stuff but just use it much less often.

I'm thinking maybe I can make my own stuff, as good as if not better . . . I know hubs home brewed beer was miles above most commercial beers. He happened to live in an area of exceptional water from artesian wells though . . .

Partly stems from my experience making fru fru flavored jams. Way less expensive and much better than even fancy gourmet store offerings. The only exception being Bon Maman apricot jam . . . If I could score some fab apricots maybe, but that's not the usual case . . .