Classic cocktail · Guided recipe
Brave Bull
Start makingA tequila Black Russian: agave spirit and coffee liqueur over ice. Two ingredients, deep and boozy.
In the glassTequila (blanco) · Coffee liqueur
See exact amounts
What goes in
Ingredients
Set up before you pour
Use a rocks glass.
The low, sturdy bowl suits concentrated drinks and gives one large cube enough width.
- Standard size
- 300 ml10¼ oz
- Ice & serve
- Fill it with fresh ice cubes.
- If you don’t own one
- Use a small water tumbler with a heavy base.
- jigger or measuring spoon
- Tequila (blanco)45 ml
- Coffee liqueur30 ml
From bottle to glass
Method
- 01
Ice the glass Fill the glass with ice
- 02
Measure and pour Pour 45 ml tequila
Tequila (blanco)
- 03
Measure and pour Add 30 ml coffee liqueur
Coffee liqueur
- 04
Stir around the ice Stir gently to combine
- 05
Finish the drink Finish it — add an orange slice
Know your drink
About the Brave Bull
Two bottles, nowhere to hide
Coffee liqueur is doing more than sweetening here, which is why the brand matters more than it would in a long drink. Kahlúa is the default and the sweetest. Mr Black is drier and tastes properly of coffee, and it turns the Brave Bull into something closer to an espresso-and-tequila nightcap. Whatever you pour, keep the bottle cold — chill is half of what makes two ingredients feel finished.
Common questions
Brave Bull FAQ
Does it matter which coffee liqueur I pour?
More than anything else in the glass, since it is two-fifths of the drink. Sweetness is what varies: Tia Maria is lighter than Kahlúa, and the cold-brew liqueurs of the last decade are drier again. Pour the same 30 ml of each and you get three noticeably different drinks.
Kahlúa at 30 ml is too much for me. Where should the ratio go?
Two to one is the useful landmark: 45 ml of tequila to 22 of liqueur, which still tastes of coffee without the syrupy finish. Three to one goes further and starts to feel like tequila with a coffee note. Do not go the other way; past equal parts the agave stops registering.
Can I use mezcal instead?
Yes, and for some people it's a straight improvement. Smoke and roasted coffee belong together. Use a lighter espadín rather than anything aggressively ashy, and expect the drink to taste drier even though you haven't changed a single measurement.
Is this just a Black Russian with tequila?
Structurally, yes. In the glass they part company. Vodka lets the coffee liqueur run the whole show, while tequila pushes vegetal and peppery notes up through it, so the Brave Bull keeps two flavors in view instead of one flavor sweetened.
What ingredients are in a Brave Bull?
A classic Brave Bull calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Tequila, 30 ml (1 oz) Coffee liqueur. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.
How strong is a Brave Bull?
A standard Brave Bull is roughly 32% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.
Is a Brave Bull shaken or stirred?
A Brave Bull is stirred, not shaken. It contains no citrus juice, so stirring keeps it crystal clear and silky instead of cloudy and aerated.
Sharpen the technique
Skills used in this recipe
How to stir a cocktail for a silky finish
Control chilling and dilution without adding the bubbles and texture of a shake.
Read the guide
Cocktail ice: cubes, crushed ice and dilution
Understand why ice is an ingredient—and choose the right shape for every drink.
Read the guideWhere to go next
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Vampiro
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