Black Eye Coffee: What It Is & How to Make It

If you enjoy strong coffee, Black Eye Coffee takes things a step beyond your usual morning brew.

The recipe is remarkably simple: take a cup of brewed coffee and add two shots of espresso. The result combines the volume and character of filter coffee with the concentrated flavour and additional caffeine of espresso.

But how does it compare with a Red Eye, how much caffeine might it contain, and what’s the best way to make one at home?

Here’s everything you need to know about Black Eye Coffee.

What is Black Eye Coffee?

Black Eye Coffee is generally made by adding two shots of espresso to a cup of brewed coffee.

Unlike an Americano, which combines espresso with hot water, a Black Eye uses brewed coffee as its base. You’re effectively combining two different coffee preparations in one cup.

A typical recipe consists of:

• Around 200–250ml brewed coffee
• Two shots of espresso
• Milk or sweetener, if desired

There’s no universally regulated recipe, so serving sizes and preparation can vary between cafés.

The important distinction is the two espresso shots.

Why is it called Black Eye Coffee?

The exact origin of the name isn’t particularly clear.

You’ll find several explanations for how Black Eye Coffee got its name, but these are difficult to verify reliably.

Rather than the origin story, what’s useful to remember is where the drink sits within a family of informally named strong coffees.

The commonly used distinction is:

• Red Eye Coffee: brewed coffee + one espresso shot
• Black Eye Coffee: brewed coffee + two espresso shots
• Dead Eye Coffee: brewed coffee + three espresso shots

These aren’t universal café standards, and terminology can vary. If a café doesn’t recognise the name, simply asking for brewed coffee with two espresso shots makes your order clear.

What does Black Eye Coffee taste like?

Black Eye Coffee has an intense coffee flavour because you’re combining brewed coffee with concentrated espresso.

Exactly how it tastes depends heavily on the beans, roast and brewing methods you use.

A medium roast might give you a relatively balanced cup with chocolate, nut or caramel characteristics, while darker roasting can introduce more pronounced roasted flavours.

A lighter roast can create a completely different result, potentially bringing greater acidity and fruit characteristics.

The espresso matters too.

Because there isn’t milk or another ingredient automatically softening the drink, problems with either your brewed coffee or espresso can become particularly noticeable.

If you want to learn more about how roasting affects your cup, read our guide to coffee roasts and their flavours.

How strong is Black Eye Coffee?

It’s certainly a strongly caffeinated coffee drink, but assigning one exact caffeine figure to every cup would be misleading.

The total caffeine content depends on factors including:

• How much brewed coffee you use
• The beans
• Coffee-to-water ratio
• Brewing method
• Espresso dose
• Number and size of the espresso shots

Since Black Eye Coffee combines a serving of brewed coffee with two espresso shots, you’re consuming the caffeine from both preparations.

For context, the US Food and Drug Administration’s guidance on caffeine states that, for most adults, 400mg of caffeine per day is an amount not generally associated with negative effects. It also stresses that sensitivity and the effects of caffeine vary considerably between individuals.

That makes it worth considering the size and strength of your drink as well as other sources of caffeine you consume during the day.

How to make Black Eye Coffee

One of the advantages of Black Eye Coffee is its simplicity.

You only need brewed coffee and espresso.

What you’ll need

• 200–250ml freshly brewed coffee
• 2 shots of espresso
• A large coffee mug
• Milk or sweetener, optional

Method

1. Brew your coffee. Prepare around 200–250ml using your preferred filter brewing method.
2. Make two espresso shots. Prepare a double espresso using freshly ground coffee.
3. Combine them. Pour the espresso into your brewed coffee.
4. Taste before adjusting. Try it black first, then add milk or sweetener if you prefer.
5. Serve immediately. Black Eye Coffee is best enjoyed freshly prepared.

That’s all there is to the basic recipe.

What’s the best brewed coffee to use?

You have plenty of options for the base.

Filter coffee is the traditional choice, but at home you can experiment with different brewing methods.

Filter or drip coffee

A straightforward filter brew creates a clean base and makes it easy to prepare a larger serving.

V60

A V60 can produce a clean, distinctive cup and gives you plenty of control over the recipe.

See our V60 brewing guide if you want to try this method.

AeroPress

The AeroPress is another versatile option.

Depending on your recipe, it can produce a concentrated and flavourful base for your drink.

Our AeroPress brewing guide covers the method in more detail.

Cafetière

A cafetière produces a fuller-bodied style of brewed coffee, which can make an already intense Black Eye Coffee feel even richer.

Follow our cafetière guide to prepare the base.

How to make the espresso

The two espresso shots are a defining part of Black Eye Coffee, so getting them right makes a difference.

Use freshly ground beans and prepare your espresso according to your machine and coffee.

Rather than deliberately pulling an unusually short or strong shot, aim for an espresso recipe that tastes balanced on its own.

If the espresso tastes excessively bitter, sour or harsh before you add it to the brewed coffee, combining the two won’t magically fix it.

Our guide on how to make an espresso covers the process in more detail.

Can you make Black Eye Coffee without an espresso machine?

You can make something similar, although technically it won’t contain traditional machine-brewed espresso.

A moka pot is one alternative because it produces a concentrated style of coffee that can work well when added to a brewed base.

You could also experiment with a concentrated AeroPress recipe.

The result won’t be identical to two shots pulled from an espresso machine, but the basic idea remains the same: combining brewed coffee with a smaller amount of more concentrated coffee.

If you have a moka pot, see our stove top coffee guide for brewing advice.

Black Eye Coffee vs Red Eye Coffee

The difference is straightforward.

A Red Eye normally contains brewed coffee with one shot of espresso, while Black Eye Coffee uses two shots.

That additional espresso changes both the flavour and total caffeine content.

If you’re curious about this style of drink but don’t want to start with two espresso shots, a Red Eye provides a simple alternative.

Black Eye Coffee vs Americano

These two drinks can look similar, but they’re fundamentally different.

An Americano starts with espresso and adds hot water.

Black Eye Coffee starts with brewed coffee and adds espresso.

So:

Americano = espresso + hot water

Black Eye = brewed coffee + two espresso shots

Because brewed coffee replaces the water, a Black Eye can have considerably more caffeine than an Americano of a similar size, although the exact amount depends on how each drink is prepared.

What beans work best?

There’s no mandatory type of bean for Black Eye Coffee.

Arabica beans are a good starting point if you want a wide choice of origins and flavour profiles.

You could use the same beans for both the brewed coffee and espresso, or deliberately combine two different coffees.

For example, you might pair a chocolate-and-nut-focused base coffee with an espresso offering similar characteristics.

Alternatively, experiment with contrasting flavours.

Our guide to Arabica coffee beans explains more about Arabica, while our guide to choosing the best coffee beans can help you choose beans for different brewing styles.

Tips for better Black Eye Coffee

The recipe may be simple, but a few adjustments can noticeably improve the result.

Use freshly roasted coffee

With little besides coffee in the cup, the quality and freshness of your beans matter.

Store them properly and grind what you need shortly before brewing where possible.

See our guide on how to store your coffee for more advice.

Get both components right

Think of the drink as two recipes combined.

Your brewed coffee should taste good before the espresso is added, and your espresso should also taste balanced by itself.

Experiment with ratios

If two espresso shots overwhelm your base coffee, increase the amount of brewed coffee slightly.

If the drink tastes too diluted, use a smaller brewed-coffee serving.

There’s no reason you can’t adjust the overall volume to your preferences.

Try different roasts

Don’t assume you need the darkest coffee available.

Medium roasts can work particularly well if you want intensity without allowing roast flavour to dominate everything else.

Can you add milk or sugar?

Yes.

Although Black Eye Coffee is commonly served black, there’s nothing stopping you from adjusting it to your taste.

A little milk can soften the intensity, while sugar or another sweetener can balance some of the bitterness.

Just remember that once you start adding substantial quantities of milk, the drink moves further away from the simple brewed-coffee-and-espresso combination that defines a traditional Black Eye.

Should you drink Black Eye Coffee every day?

There’s no universal answer because caffeine tolerance and individual circumstances vary.

What matters is your total caffeine intake rather than the dramatic-sounding name of the drink.

Black Eye Coffee combines two caffeinated preparations, so it can contribute a substantial amount towards your daily intake.

If caffeine causes symptoms such as jitters, anxiety, headaches, an upset stomach or difficulty sleeping, reducing your intake may be sensible. The FDA also recommends discussing caffeine consumption with a healthcare professional if you’re experiencing adverse effects.

If you simply want the flavour with less caffeine, you could experiment with decaffeinated coffee for one of the components.

Our guide to decaf coffee benefits explains more about decaffeinated coffee and its caffeine content.

Is Black Eye Coffee worth trying?

If you enjoy bold coffee and already drink both filter coffee and espresso, it’s certainly an interesting recipe to try.

You don’t need specialist ingredients, syrups or complicated preparation.

Just brew a good cup of coffee, prepare two balanced espresso shots and combine them.

The result is an intense drink that allows both brewing methods to contribute to the finished cup.

Start with good beans, experiment with your brewing ratios and see whether Black Eye Coffee earns a place in your coffee routine.

Browse our freshly roasted coffee beans at CoffeeHype to find beans for your next brew.