Coffee Shop Recipes: Maple Bourbon Latte

This maple bourbon latte is a show-stopper to enjoy in the fall or winter! We recommend using a certain type of bourbon to prepare this recipe—and it doesn’t have to be an expensive bottle, either. Our favorite choice is Old Grand Dad 114 or (or regular Old Grand-Dad if the 114 is unavailable). We’ve found this to be best bourbon pairing for espresso & milk after extensive testing. (It matters!) Other bourbons tend to not make the final drink taste bourbon like, or they are too sweet.  (This recipe is formulated to evaporate the alcohol off while simmering, similar to cooking with wine, however, the lawyers told us to put in a disclaimer that it could still contain very trace amounts.) 

How to Make Maple Bourbon Syrup

Supply List:

  • Medium saucepan
  • Funnel
  • Glass bottle (an old washed out bourbon bottle (no label) is a nice touch)

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of Bourbon
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Steps:

  1. Bring the bourbon ONLY to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
  2. Add maple syrup and lemon juice then simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
  3. Transfer syrup to your container or to a bottle using a funnel 
  4. Allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge

*This recipe will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
 *Disclaimer: Do not reduce the time you allow to simmer! You need to allow alcohol to evaporate.

Try These Coffee Shop Recipes

Maple Bourbon Latte

  • 1 oz maple bourbon syrup
  • Double shot of espresso
  • 6 oz milk of choice 

Top with steamed/textured milk and pour latte art if desired.

Maple Bourbon Shooter

Use a rocks glass (5 oz), and pour .5 oz maple bourbon syrup + 1 oz half and half. Pour a double shot of espresso directly into syrup and half and half. Mix with small whisk. Serve to the customer immediately with a 5 oz rocks glass of seltzer water on the side.

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The 2 Biggest Things Killing Coffee Shops, And How To Avoid Them

Below are the 2 biggest things killing coffee shop businesses. If you are planning to start your own coffee shop business, read carefully!
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4 Reasons You Should Start Your Own Business

There is a lot of hard work that goes into starting any business, and starting your own coffee shop is no exception. If you have been thinking of starting a…
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A Coffee Expert Gift Guide: 7 Gifts Your Coffee Geek Actually Wants

We all know someone who always has a coffee in their hand. It’s that coffee enthusiast that admires the craft, or simply depends on caffeine. If you know someone who…
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Setting Up Your At-Home Coffee Brewing Station

Creating your at-home coffee brewing station is full of fun and excitement as you begin to imagine hand-crafting your own cafe quality drinks in your own kitchen everyday! Unfortunately, and…
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Valentine’s Day Treats for Coffee Geeks

Valentine’s Day is the opportunity to celebrate love, and if you or your loved one can be classified as a “coffee geek,” it’s a time to celebrate that love over…
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Coffee Shop Recipes: House-Made Gingerbread Syrup

If you are in the mood to embrace a traditional coffee shop cold-weather flavor, you must try house-made gingerbread syrup!  While most notably a holiday beverage, gingerbread is perfect in…
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Are Too Many Menu Options Stifling Your Coffee Shop’s Success?

It’s opening day at the coffee shop you have put your heart and soul into. You wait anxiously for that first customer to come strolling into your meticulously designed café…
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New Year’s Resolution – Get Your Beans Back

The New Year is a time many of us spend contemplating the lives we truly want, and comparing it to the lives we actually have. This most often leads to…
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The Texas Coffee School French Press How-To Guide

Below you will learn the science, technique and best practices essential to making outstanding French Press coffee. If you want to learn more about coffee extraction and gain an in-depth…
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Is Inconsistency Killing Your Coffee Business From Within?

Since you are reading a coffee school blog right now it is probably safe to assume you have visited a certain large chain “green mermaid” coffee shop before. Perhaps even…
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To Flavor or Not to Flavor? : A Barista School Guide to Better Flavored Lattes

When it comes to coffee, flavored syrups and other beverage additions it can be a divisive issue. Many coffee shops line their bars with several dozen flavor syrup offerings while…
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Barista Training v.s. Quality Barista Training: Don’t Pay The Price By Not Paying The Price

We’ve all heard it before that “You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.” According to research carried out by the American Psychological Association, when it…
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Coffee Tips: How To Make Japanese Style Iced Coffee

As Summer rolls around each year, our thoughts turn to iced coffee as a perfect complement to backyard barbecues and just about any get-together. You may want to try the…
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7 Mistakes to Avoid When Opening a Coffee Shop Business

There’s something romantic about coffee houses. The idea of a place within the community for people unwind, catch up with friends, hear music, grab a bite to eat and of…
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Should you serve house blend or single origin coffee in your coffee shop?

House blend or single origin coffee? Which of these is better for the greater good of specialty coffee shops: house blend or single origin coffee? We’ll look at both in…
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Holiday Gift Guide For Serious Coffee Geeks – By Texas Coffee School

Do you know someone who loves coffee?  Someone who constantly tinkers in their kitchen for hours brewing coffee different ways.  Maybe this person regularly reads books on the science of coffee brewing,…
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How To Brew Better Tasting Clever Dripper Coffee

Like many others in the specialty coffee industry, we’ve found the brewing instructions shared by the Clever manufacturer does not always produce favorable tasting results. After experimenting with many different…
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Blending Cultures Through Coffee Education

The world is full of fragrance. Some bring comfort and joy while others… do not. There is no fragrance more identifiable from miles away than coffee (especially roasting coffee). Coffee…
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A Texas Coffee School Guide To Making Better Tasting Coffee with a Hario V60

Below you will learn best practices essential to making great tasting pour-over drip coffee using a Hario V60 Dripper. If you want to learn more about coffee extraction and gain…
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Hand Brewed Coffee vs. Machine Brewed – Which is Best For Your Coffee Shop Business Plan, Barista Training?

Lately it seems like every commercial on television has a latte-art laden cappuccino. Television characters are working at coffee shops like Café Grumpy and Intelligentsia. Intelligentsia’s coffee can even be…
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Multi-Roaster Coffee Shop Business Model: The More The Merrier?

Specialty Coffee has grow significantly in the past decade. New quality-focused coffee shops and coffee businesses rapidly continue to open  in cities across North America and beyond. Many are even popping…
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Coffee Business Tips: The Consumer’s Perspective

Whether it’s a cappuccino, a latte, an espresso, or simply black coffee, coffee has become a way of life for most people.  The ever-growing market appeal of the specialty coffee…
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How Successful Coffee Businesses Shift Expectations to Elevate Perception of Value

Imagine you are going on a road-trip. It’s 4am and you need to fuel up your car (and yourself) before you leave. You pull in to the gas station since…
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How To Make Vacuum Siphon Coffee: A Step-By-Step Brew Guide

Below you will find the Texas Coffee School step-by-step guide for how to make vacuum siphon coffee. You will learn the specific parameters, technique, and best practices essential to making…
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Women: 3 Career Tips From A Coffee Business Veteran

The change in seasons is an always a good time to reflect on the past, present and future.  The fall always prompts me to think about my career in coffee…
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Coffee Class: Why The Coffee Grinder Is The Most Important Component In Your Home Coffee Brewing Setup

It’s not secret that specialty coffee is in high demand these days. From Seattle to Miami, and Boston to Los Angeles, most major cities and many suburbs have a great…
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Coffee Business Matters: Service Beyond the Cup

Every single day, millions of people indulge in a cup of the sweet nectar of life we call coffee. If you partake in this daily ritual, recent studies suggest your…
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Opening the Doors of Coffee School

Envisioning a coffee school conjures images of eager eyed baristas clutching clip boards and cupping spoons. However there is another coffee school much nearer at hand. Being a great barista…
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Everyday Barista Training

When people say they are “in training,” they mean that they are practicing or learning a set of skills with their eyes on a specific goal. They may be in…
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How To Clean Your Espresso Machine – Best Practices

How to Clean Your Espresso Machine Below you will learn best practices essential to cleaning a commercial espresso machine and home espresso machine alike. Check out our Coffee Education Classes.…
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Coffee Shop Signature Drink Recipes: Creatively Embracing Seasonality

Seasonality is a word that is ingrained in the vocabulary of specialty coffee. Coffee is a seasonal crop, just like strawberries and other fruits. Throughout the year, specialty coffee offerings…
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A Barista School Guide To Pouring Latte Art

Despite the period of rapid growth and progression that the specialty coffee industry has been enjoying around the world as of late, much about our industry and our product remains…
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How To Be A Great Barista – Barista Training

There are four important questions that help a barista come to understand their role in the world of the coffee house. Who is your guest? Why do they come to…
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Pro Tips: Financing A Coffee Business Through Crowdfunding

Many of you are probably familiar with crowdfunding.  You’ve likely seen some of the projects online that have gone viral, or maybe you’ve even backed a project yourself. If you…
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A Texas Coffee School Guide To Making Better Tasting Coffee with a Chemex

Below you will learn the best practices essential to making great tasting pour-over drip coffee using a Chemex. If you want to learn more about coffee extraction and gain an…
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How To Plan A Better Tea Program For Your Coffee Shop Business

The idea of coffee as a “specialty” beverage is a driving force of many coffee shops today: serving beverages that are crafted with knowledge and care from quality ingredients, served…
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Water…Coffee’s Largest Variable | Coffee School

By now, for coffee professionals and café owners, there is a better than likely chance they’ve heard the phrase “Coffee is 98% water.” Does this really mean anything? If so,…
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Coffee Business Tips: Creating a Culture of Consistency

It’s seven in the morning.  You are tired, as you have every right to be at this hour.  Maybe you’re a little grumpy, but you’re at your favorite coffee shop…
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Barista Training and Coffee Education

From Seattle to New York, Chicago to Houston, and numerous cities in between, specialty coffee has enjoyed tremendous growth in market-share over the past decade. As public interest continues to…
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WHY: Some Coffee Businesses Succeed and Many Fail

Specialty coffee, craft beverages, local baked goods, and just about all things “artisan” are in high demand these days (Even toast!). It doesn’t matter if you are in a big…
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How To Make Better Tasting Cold Brewed Iced Coffee (Using a Home Toddy Maker)

In many popular coffee regions around the United States, iced coffee is treated as an afterthought. In a lot of cases it is even looked down upon by baristas and…
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Opening a Coffee Shop Business – 5 Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Starting a new business is an act of creation, an act of design. Even if you are pursuing a business model that has been “done before” and therefore proven, the…
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