There is always an iconic story for every flavor of every coffee drink that you’ve ever heard, but would you expect the red eye coffee came from the mile-high club? Alright, get your mind out of the gutter, because it’s time to fasten your seat belts and fly the friendly skies.
A short history of red eye flights
History has a way of creating a whole sub-culture that creates comfort wherever it can be found. Yet for those who needed to travel a lot in the 1960s, Americans who flew on long plane trips, otherwise known as the red-eye flight’, would be treated to a very unique type of coffee drink. Now you couldn’t get this caffeinated drink on a regular flight as you’ll find out, for reasons that will soon become obvious.
For those who could afford the often expensive flights over $1000 in those days, the level of comfort was honestly more based on what was provided. It was standard that seats were roomier, meals were much more elaborate, and smoking was allowed on all flights up until 1990. You might be surprised that stewardesses would even blow out the matches that were used to light cigarettes!
Things began to change toward the end of the 70s which saw an increase of red eye flights, as East coast/West coast business was on the rise. It wasn’t until 1978 that the airline industry deregulated the seat pitch rules. This began a craze for larger airplanes that could easily cram more people on board so that profits could be increased. This did two things for the airlines.
It allowed more people to fly at a lower overall cost but countered this by packing people into planes like sardines. This not only made it more uncomfortable to sit comfortably, a red eye flight would certainly be difficult to get any kind of sleep for these flights. Anytime a long flight across the US that took you from the East coast to the West coast, especially late at night, would commonly use this flight term.
The airlines found a way to combat this problem of passengers not being able to sleep on longer late-night flights. Thus the red eye coffee drink was born and was offered for free on these flights. This helped solve the problem of trying to sleep and kept the passengers wide awake for most of these flights. It also became an in-joke among those who fly these longer trips from the look of most passengers (with red eyes) when they finally land at their destination.
Who drinks a red eye?
These days, it might as well be part of some TicTok challenge chasing this with a double shot full of Benadryl. But in all seriousness, some of us would like a nice pick-me-up in the morning. It’s also one of the most universal combinations that are also called various names over the years. Before the airlines gave it a universal name, it also was known by several localized names.
At one time it was called a ‘hammerhead, or depth charge’ that most boomers will still remember. In Alaska, they called it a ‘sludge cup’, while the North-westerners would order ‘a shot in the dark’. In the northeast, it was called the ‘Mondo’, but weren’t opposed to using stink-eye, train wreck, oil spill, and a double drip. In Canada, those who like to visit Tim Horton’s will order up a Candiano…
At one time it was called a ‘hammerhead, or depth charge’ that most boomers will still remember. In Alaska, they called it a ‘sludge cup’, while the North-westerners would order ‘a shot in the dark’. In the northeast, it was called the ‘Mondo’, but weren’t opposed to using stink-eye, train wreck, oil spill, and a double drip. In Canada, those who like to visit Tim Horton’s will order up a Candiano…
How much caffeine in a red eye?
Now, this is the kind of question that you’ll be interested to hear since caffeine is what keeps most people functioning these days. A regular cup of machine drip coffee will carry a total of 95mg of caffeine. The average shot of espresso is only 63mg of caffeine which is obviously less since the extraction process reduces the amount of caffeine that comes out. Combining espresso shots of these two gives you a total of 158mg of caffeine, and is a pleasing and energizing boost.
So the amount of jitter isn’t nearly as much as you might get from drinking two cups of regular drip coffee. Those who enjoy drinking a red or black eye more often might feel that two cups is more than enough to get through the morning. If you’ve never tried a red eye before, it might be pretty uplifting over most coffee drinks you’ve had in the past. Certainly, it’s a lot healthier than energy drinks tend to be since there aren’t any added preservatives.
Green Eye VS Red Eye
Green eye coffee is a variation on the traditional red eye drink which combines regular drip coffee with an espresso shot. Unlike the red eye, however, the green eye uses one regular drip coffee and two espresso shots. This combination results in a stronger caffeine kick than the original red eye, as it has almost double the amount of caffeine in it. It’s a little smoother, more balanced, making it ideal for those who have become accustomed to their daily dose of espresso but might be looking for something with more of a punch. There are variations on this type of coffee, and many cafes will allow customers to customize their drink with different types of coffees or add-ins like flavored syrups or creamers.
Red Eye recipes
The red eye is as simple as it gets since the recipe is just two components. It’s a cup of coffee with a single shot of espresso added. You can add cream and sugar if you like, but leave room in your mug. This section will not change the recipe but rather the method of how you can enjoy a red eye in general
The OG Red Eye
- 1 shot espresso
- 1 cup of coffee
Instructions:
Use a standard coffee drip machine, since this will yield the most caffeine for a single cup. For your espresso, use an instant espresso machine or a Moka pot to make your espresso. Once these are brewed, add them to a standard cup together and enjoy them right away.
Iced red eye
- Chilled cream
- 1 shot espresso
- 1 cup coffee
- Ice
Instructions:
After these are brewed and poured into small ceramic cups. They are placed into bowls with ice around them and allowed to cool down faster. Add ice into a large glass and pour the coffee and espresso into a single cup. Add some chilled cream or milk and add sugar.
Red Eye Nitro Brew
- Nitrogen
- 1 shot espresso
- 1 cup of coffee
Instructions:
You brew your coffee and espresso as usual and pout this into a whipped cream gas canister and chip this for one hour. After this, charge the canister with a nitrogen charger and give the coffee a good shake. Allow the gas to escape slowly by pressing the handle very lightly until the canister is empty. Change the gas charger again and repeat this again. To ensure that the oxygen is totally emptied from your coffee mixture.
The very last canister change is the one you can pour into a waiting cup. Turn the canister upside down and allow the red eye coffee mix to fill your cup. This will have the highest amount of nitrogen added to your coffee and will be creamier and more smooth as a result.
When it comes to coffee drinks, we all know there’s more options aside from standard red eye coffee; see here for more coffee making inspiration. If you’re looking to cut back on caffeine intake, decaf drip coffee is a great option. This type of coffee is brewed with hot water and filtered through a paper filter. The result is a smooth and mild cup of java that still has the rich flavor of regular coffee without all the buzz. Some people even prefer decaf over regular coffee for its lower acidity.
Experimenting with brewed coffee is a great way to discover new ways to enjoy your favorite cup of joe. French presses and pour-overs are two different types of brewing methods that will yield a full flavored cup of coffee with more flavor nuance than what you would get from an average drip machine. Hot water and freshly ground beans are added to the brewing device, where they combine for several minutes before being poured into the mug or carafe. The end result is usually a stronger cup than what you get from a drip coffee maker machine.
Another way to get a bolder flavor, dark roast coffees are available which can be made in either single or double shots (or even three shots if you’d like to get a little crazy!). These brews are usually roasted longer at higher temperatures resulting in an extra strong cup with more body and bolder flavors such as chocolate or caramel notes. It’s important to note that these roasts contain more caffeine than lighter roasts, so they should be consumed accordingly if not looking for too much of an energy boost.
Dead eyes are also available at some specialty cafes and bars, which involve adding two shots of espresso instead of one when making your drink. This results in an intensely flavored drink with double the amount of caffeine compared to a red eye – perfect for when you need that extra pick-me-up.