Classic Colorado Bulldog Cocktail Recipe

There are some cocktails that seem like they have a bizarre combination of ingredients at first glance, and the Colorado Bulldog is a good example. Featuring vodka, coffee liqueur, cola, and everyone's favorite cocktail topper, heavy cream, this cocktail may have you scratching your head a little bit. "Looking at the ingredient list of this drink at first I thought it sounded so strange and not something I would want to drink," recipe developer Jessica Morone admits, "but it really just tastes like a boozy ice cream soda, [and] the coffee flavor from the coffee liqueur is very mild so it just adds a bit of extra flavor."

Once you can work past the odd ingredients list, it is pretty easy to see how this cocktail tastes pretty good. Morone opts to use vanilla vodka for her rendition of a Bulldog, which pairs nicely with the sweet cola and heavy cream. "This cocktail tastes like an adult version of an ice cream soda and that's what I love most about it," Morone adds, so any and all cream soda fans can officially get on board. If you're looking for a rich and creamy cocktail to add to your repertoire, then this Colorado Bulldog may be just the solution to your sweet tooth.

Gather the ingredients for a Colorado Bulldog cocktail

The ingredients list is short and sweet — you'll need vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur (such as Kahlúa), any type of cola, heavy whipping cream, and optionally a cherry for garnish. "I did two things in this recipe to make it even more like an ice cream soda than a standard Colorado Bulldog," says Morone, "and that was to use vanilla vodka rather than regular vodka, to make it more of like a vanilla ice cream flavor, and I increased the amount of cola in it."

Combine the liquors and cola

Because this cocktail involves a fizzy liquid, it's best stirred, not shaken. So, fill your favorite cocktail glass with ice, then add in the vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, and cola. Give the liquids a gentle stir to combine.

Stir in the heavy cream and top it off with a cherry

Pour the heavy cream into the glass and give it a gentle stir. You can opt to fully mix the cream into the cocktail, or you can follow Morone's lead and allow it to float at the top, which gives it that classic ice cream float look. Finally, top the drink off with a maraschino cherry — an optional garnish, but one highly recommended as it will complement the flavor of the cola nicely.

Sip on this sweet Colorado Bulldog

All that's left to do is sip and enjoy this creamy confection. As Morone explains, the Colorado Bulldog "is considered an after dinner drink, which makes sense because this really seems more like a dessert than a cocktail." If you're the type who enjoys to have actual food alongside your cocktail, Morone has a few suggestions. "It can be your only dessert, or you could pair this with an actual dessert like chocolate cake," she says. For those with a sweet tooth that can seemingly never be satisfied, this dessert combo just might do the trick.

And, if you want to enjoy the cocktail minus the booze, Morone says, "You can also make a non-alcoholic version of this by leaving out the vodka and swapping in a shot of espresso instead of the coffee liqueur."

Colorado Bulldog Cocktail Recipe
5 (35 ratings)
Learn how to make this unique cocktail that tastes like the adult version of an ice cream soda with cream, coffee liqueur, and cola.
Prep Time
5
minutes
Cook Time
0
minutes
Servings
1
Cocktail
two cocktails with bowl of cherries
Total time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 ounces vanilla vodka
  • 1 ounce coffee liqueur
  • 2 ounces cola
  • 1 ounce heavy cream
Optional Ingredients
  • 1 maraschino cherry, for garnish
Directions
  1. In a glass with ice add the vanilla vodka, coffee liqueur, and cola and stir.
  2. Top with the heavy cream and gently stir.
  3. Top with a cherry if desired, and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Calories per Serving 345
Total Fat 10.6 g
Saturated Fat 6.6 g
Trans Fat 0.0
Cholesterol 38.8 mg
Total Carbohydrates 19.5 g
Dietary Fiber 0.0 g
Total Sugars 16.7 g
Sodium 15.9 mg
Protein 0.6 g
The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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