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This post has been sponsored by Nespresso. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Awaken your senses and make coffee shop quality double espresso drinks at home!  Using the new Nespresso VertuoPlus Machine and espresso capsules, I made a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cortado and an Irish Mocha.

How to make a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cortado at home | How to make an Irish Mocha at home | How to make a cortado | How to make a Mint Mocha at home | Fancy Coffee Drinks at home

How to make a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cortado at home | How to make an Irish Mocha at home | How to make a cortado | How to make a Mint Mocha at home | Fancy Coffee Drinks at home

 

I love the morning coffee ritual. Knowing that coffee is waiting for me makes rolling out of bed just a little easier in the morning. Even better?  Waking up to the aroma of coffee that someone else is making for you, right?  In the last few years I’ve tried all kinds of methods to come up with making the perfect cup of coffee.

Although I have tried many different coffee making methods, I’ve never been able to make true espresso at home.  Until now.

How to make a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cortado at home | How to make an Irish Mocha at home | How to make a cortado | How to make a Mint Mocha at home | Fancy Coffee Drinks at home

Nespresso recently sent me one of their new VertuoPlus machines and I was so excited to start trying out espresso drinks at home. They also sent me some Chiaro & Scuro Capsules which make rich, double espresso shots.

What I love about the Nespresso VertuoPlus machine is that it is so easy to use! With barely a touch of the finger, you can raise the head and insert the espresso capsule.  Close the lid, push the button to start the coffee brewing.  Within twenty seconds, a rich espresso with generous crema will start filling your cup.  We are all a little groggy in the morning, but that won’t stop you from enjoying your perfect cup.

This post is special because I have not one but TWO espresso drinks for you today! I needed a special drink to christen my new Nespresso VertuoPlus, so, first I decided to make a Cinnamon Brown Sugar Cortado.

How to make a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cortado at home | How to make an Irish Mocha at home | How to make a cortado | How to make a Mint Mocha at home | Fancy Coffee Drinks at home

 

What is a Cortado?

A cortado is an espresso drink mixed with about an equal amount of lightly steamed milk. A cortado generally is about four to five ounces.

I added cinnamon and brown sugar to my cortado to make it an especially warm and aromatic drink. With the Nespresso VertuoPlus, making this cinnamon brown sugar cortado takes just a few minutes, and you know it is going to turn out perfectly every time.

How to make a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cortado at home | How to make an Irish Mocha at home | How to make a cortado | How to make a Mint Mocha at home | Fancy Coffee Drinks at home

How to make a cinnamon brown sugar cortado?

  1. Place 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon in the bottom of a six ounce cup. (The Nespresso View Lungo glasses are perfect for this drink)
  2. Gently warm two ounces of milk.
  3. Meanwhile, use the Nespresso VertuoPlus to make a perfect double espresso shot.
  4. Pour the milk over the espresso.

How to make a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cortado at home | How to make an Irish Mocha at home | How to make a cortado | How to make a Mint Mocha at home | Fancy Coffee Drinks at home

For my second drink, I decided to try to make a coffee shop favorite – the Irish Mocha!

What is an Irish Mocha?

An Irish Mocha is a Dark Chocolate Mint Mocha, and is one of my favorite drinks to order when out.  Now that I can make consistently great espresso at home I can finally have my favorite drink whenever I want.

What do you need to make an Irish Mocha?

To make an Irish Mocha, you need dark chocolate syrup, peppermint syrup, espresso, and milk.  You can even add whipped cream and chocolate shavings if you want to get extra fancy!

Chocolate shavings on Irish Mocha

How do you make an Irish Mocha?

  1. Place two ounces of dark chocolate syrup in the bottom of a large mug.
  2. Add one ounce of peppermint syrup.
  3. Pour six ounces of steamed milk over the syrups.
  4. Add a double espresso shot from your Nespresso VertuoPlus
  5. If desired, top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

How to make an Irish Mocha

For the Cinnamon Brown Sugar Cortado I used the Nespresso View Lungo glasses which are 6 ounces, so they are the perfect size for the Cortado.  For the Irish Mocha, I used some larger, 12 ounce glass mugs that I had on hand.

Want to start making beautiful, consistent espresso drinks at home?  Be sure to check out the Nespresso website to see everything I used here for these drinks!

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Cortado breakfast scene

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Irish Mocha

Prep 3 minutes
Total 3 minutes
Servings 1 Drink
An Irish Mocha is a Dark Chocolate Mint Mocha, and is one of my favorite drinks to order when out.  Now that I can make consistently great espresso at home I can finally have my favorite drink whenever I want.

Ingredients 

  • 2 ounces dark chocolate syrup
  • 1 ounce peppermint syrup
  • 1 Nespresso Double Espresso capsule  two ounces espresso
  • 6 ounces steamed milk
  • whipped cream for topping optional
  • chocolate shavings for topping optional

Instructions 

  • In the bottom of a 12 ounce mug, add the chocolate syrup and the peppermint syrup.
  • Top with the steamed milk, then the espresso.
  • Stir to mix if desired.
  • Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings if desired.

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Beverages
Cuisine: Irish
Did you like this recipe?Please comment, rate and share! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @foxandbriar AND #foxandbriar so I can see what you made!

 

Irish Mocha from above

Hello! I’m Meghan.

I am so glad that you are here! I am the recipe developer, photographer, and writer here at my blog Fox and Briar. I am a passionate, self-taught home cook and believe that most things are better homemade and that good food doesn’t need to be complicated.

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9 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    We love our Nespresso Machine too! Could not live without it. A perfect up of deliciousness to start the morning. Have you heard that nespresso has come up with a new on the go model for camping and outdoor activities. Now we never have to be far away from the perfect cuppa. Take Care