Lots of people enjoy a nice hot cup of coffee in the morning. Maybe it’s a simple black coffee on the way to work, or a piping hot Americano with plenty of cream and sugar. Either way, it’s a “pick me up” to start the day off right.

But what if you crave the bold taste of coffee in the evening? Here are four ways to enjoy coffee after hours in both beverage and food form.

Decaf Coffee
This first suggestion will seem obvious – drink decaffeinated coffee. Still, we bring it up because it is the essential building block to late-night coffee beverages. But what is decaffeinated coffee? How do they remove the caffeine?

The decaffeination process starts with green, unroasted coffee beans. The caffeine is then extracted using a chemical solvent or, in some cases, a process of water and osmosis to draw out the caffeine. This is an oversimplification, but it works for our purposes.

Unless you are looking to pull an all-nighter, decaf coffee is the way to go.

Luxury Coffee Cocktails & Nightcaps
So, you want a late-night coffee drink without the energetic buzz. We can understand that. But how do you feel about a boozy buzz?

Coffee cocktails and nightcaps are a great way to relax in the evening. You just can’t beat the complex taste of coffee and liquor. While there are dozens, if not hundreds of cocktail recipes, here are a few favorites to get you started.

• Café Mocha Shakerato. This is an easy drink to make, especially if you use decaf luxury coffee pods from a brand like Caffé di Artisan since they don’t require a brew machine. Start with 2 ounces of strong coffee, add 1 ounce of simple syrup, and 1 ounce of chocolate syrup (Monin brand works best). Toss the ingredient into a shaker with ice, and vigorously shake until there is a nice froth. Strain the beverage into a glass and enjoy.
• Spanish Coffee. Start with 1 cup decaf hot coffee, ½ ounce of rum, and 1.2 ounce of vanilla coffee liquor. Pour into a glass mug, top with whipped cream and garnish with a cherry. Delicious!
• Kona Coffee: Kona Coffee is a luxury coffee made in the Kona Districts of the Big Island of Hawaii.  It”s one of the most expensive and exclusive coffees in the world. The traditional Kona Coffee taste profile is light, sweet and fruity.

Affogato: Something Special on Top

Affogato is one of life’s simple pleasures. It’s espresso poured on top of another dessert, thus marrying the essence of bitter with sweet. It’s a match made in heaven all right.

While the most popular form of affogato is espresso coffee poured over vanilla ice cream, there are numerous ways to make your desserts extra special with the addition of coffee. You can add espresso to a bowl of tiramisu; add a drizzle of mocha or caramel sauce if you really want something special. Or pour hot espresso over flan just before adding whipped cream and cinnamon on top. Yum!

Desserts: Cooking with Coffee

Speaking of desserts, another spectacular way to enjoy coffee in the evening is by including it in your baking. Again, these are just a sampling of recipes to try. Feel free to get creative. After all, what is more fun than desserts with coffee?

• Coffee Kahlua Brownies. We hope you like cocoa flavors, because this recipe is full of ‘em. Start by pre-heating the oven to 375. The rack should be 1/3 up from the bottom. Grease a 9x13x2 pan with butter. Melt 8 ounces of unsweetened chocolate with 1 cup of unsalted butter (tip: it helps to chop up the chocolate for quicker melting) in a separate sauce pan over low heat. Once even, set aside to cool. In a large bowl, beat five eggs before adding 2 cups sugar, 2 tablespoons liquid coffee, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix until even. Next add 2 cups flour and mix into a batter. Next, combine 2/3 cup hot coffee (decaf) with ¼ cup Kahlua into a separate bowl, mix gently, then add to batter. Pour the batter into the prepped pan and heat in oven for about 35 mins. Cool at room temperature, and enjoy.

• Decaf Coffee Fudge. Start with a tin of condensed milk (~400 g), 150 ml regular milk, 115g unsalted butter, and 450g fine sugar. Mix these ingredients together in a large saucepan until melted. Be careful to avoid chunks of sugar in your mixture. Turn up the heat to boiling, and simmer for 15 minutes; stirring gently, but continuously. This will keep the bottom of your fudge from burning. Pour the mixture into a bowl. Add 2.5 tablespoons liquid coffee and beat for 10 minutes. The result should be a caramelly thickness. Pour the contents into a lined, flat dish. Make sure the top is nice and even while cooling. Once solid, cut into squares, adding a single coffee bean to each piece for presentation. And there you have it: Coffee fudge.

We bet you never knew coffee was so versatile. So, go ahead, try one of the above suggestions to enjoy coffee in the PM.