Heard of a Dead Eye Coffee and wondered why it’s called that. Wondering what a Green Eye Coffee is? Unsure whether you should try a red-eye coffee, black-eye coffee, or dead-eye coffee for your upcoming long day? We’ll break down the differences between these 3 popular eye coffee drinks in our special 3 part series that covers each eye drink specifically and how to make these potent brews. We also will give you some tips for being able to handle such strong brews and additional add-ons that will make them more palatable.
This post is all about Dead Eye Coffee, what is it, how to make it, and where it stands when comparing it to similar caffeinated espresso drinks.
What is Dead Eye Coffee?
Dead Eye Coffee is an extremely caffeinated espresso and drip coffee drink! This almost too caffeinated cafe drink is a favorite among those who need to pull double shifts and all-nighter study sessions because it’s packed with as much caffeine as several cups of coffee.
Why Is It Called Dead Eye Coffee? Is It The Same As A Green Eye Coffee?
Dead Eye Coffee derives its name from its sister eye coffee drinks; Red Eye Coffee and Black Eye Coffee. The eye series of drinks came about from the infamous red-eye drink which was given its name due to the people who drank it usually having red eyes from long flights, long shifts, etc, and needing a stronger than usual cup of coffee.
Thus, came into fruition the middle child black eye coffee which features 2 shots of espresso, and then its big sibling the Dead Eye Coffee. The Dead Eye Coffee is basically a suped-up version of Red Eye Coffee. You’ll hear this drink be called a different name which is the Green Eye Coffee, this name is popular at Starbucks so we recommend using the Green Eye Coffee name instead of the original.
How many shots of espresso are in a Dead eye coffee?
The final version (at least we hope) of the eye coffee series is the extreme dead eye coffee. This coffee drink features a base of 8 oz of freshly brewed drip coffee for its base and is topped with a triple shot of espresso to create an electric drink that will help power you through any double shift or college dead week (shivers).
How much Caffeine is in a Dead Eye Coffee?
There is roughly 300-360mg of caffeine in a single serving of this strong coffee drink. This is why we only recommend one of these in a day, and limiting other caffeinated drinks as exceeding 400mg of caffeine in a day is not recommended.
What kind of coffee beans are used in Dead eye coffee?
Since this is a drink that is traditionally drunken like black coffee, you’ll want to use high-quality whole coffee beans that are freshly ground before brewing. We recommend a medium roast for this 3rd drink, unlike black eye coffee or red eye coffee where you can use dark roast or medium roast whole coffee beans. The reason we won’t use dark roast coffee is that this is already an overpowering drink, if you combine dark roast coffee with the drip it will be too bitter for even the most elite of black coffee drinkers.
What level of ground size should I use for dead eye coffee?
The reason we emphasize freshly ground whole bean coffee is that you can control the taste of your coffee by controlling the ground grade, smaller- medium grinds will bring out the most aromas and flavors from the coffee and will really get the most caffeine as the surface area of the coffee is smaller and easier to extract flavor from.
However, keep in mind you don’t want to grind too small otherwise you’ll over-extract the coffee beans and end up with super bitter coffee. The opposite is true as well, if you create coarse-grade coffee grounds, you’ll fail at extracting the ultimate flavor profile for the coffee beans, this is especially important when drinking black coffee as you’ll be able to notice the slightest shifts in coffee taste.
Do You Drink Green Eye Coffee Black?
Yes, Green Eye Coffee is officially drunken black, although we won’t blame you if you elect to add water, creamer, and sugar. This is a really strong cup of coffee and it can be a bit bitter even with the highest quality blends of coffee beans and best brewing methods. We do recommend trying it first to see if you can drink it black, if not go ahead and add some cream and sugar.
Who is a Green Eye Coffee Perfect For?
Green Eye Coffee is perfect for those who need beyond the normal cup of coffee, and if red eye coffee and black eye coffee aren’t doing it for you. The new suggests trying a dead-eye coffee to see if it can power you through a long day. We will caution you though, that consuming too much caffeine is not good for you and caffeine should be drunk in moderation and responsibly.
Dead Eye Coffee Recipe
Special Note: This is a highly caffeinated drink and should not be drunk by those with caffeine sensitivities, those told to avoid caffeine, and should not be drunk in succession with other caffeinated drinks. Drink caffeine responsibly and safely.
Ingredients
Medium Roast Whole Coffee Beans
Dark Roast Whole Coffee Beans
Filtered Water
Equipment
Drip Coffee Equipment
- Pour-over
- French Press
- Drip Coffee Machine
- Aeropress
Espresso Method Equipment
- Espresso Machine
- Percolator
Recipe Calls For
- 8 oz of Drip Coffee – made from medium ground medium roast coffee beans
- 3 oz of Espresso aka a triple shot of espresso made from small ground dark roast coffee beans
How To Make a Green Eye Coffee
- Brew your drip coffee with your favorite drip coffee method and set aside 8 oz in your heat-friendly cup
- Brew your espresso in your espresso method of choice and set aside 3 oz of espresso.
- Pour Drip coffee into a cup, pour espresso shots over it, mix and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- This is a strong brew, to help lessen the strong taste you can swap to a medium roast coffee for the espresso portion.
- We recommend grinding coffee beans to a small grade for espresso and medium-small grade for drip coffee.
- Add cream and sugar to help counter the drastic flavor of this drink.