What is Dripped Eye Coffee (a.k.a. Dead Eye Coffee)?

Dripped Eye coffee is just a different name for Dead Eye coffee. Dead Eye (Dripped Eye coffee) is part of the range of heavily-caffeinated drinks that combine shots of espresso with drip coffee. The Dead Eye coffee is the strongest of them all, with three espresso shots added to a cup of drip coffee. If you’re looking for a serious jolt of caffeine, here’s all you need to know about the Dead Eye coffee drink.

Where does Dead Eye come from?

The Dead Eye coffee (also known as Dripped Eye coffee), is a variation on the Red Eye coffee (1). The name Dead Eye could refer to the fact you’d have to be nearly dead to need this much coffee, or that it might contain enough caffeine to kill you!

In Starbucks, it’s known as a Green Eye. It’s an easy coffee type to explain and order even if you don’t know what it’s called – just ask for a drip coffee with three shots of espresso poured into it (2).

How do you prepare a Dead Eye?

Preparing a Dead Eye at home is complicated, as it requires you to have both a home espresso machine, as well as an electric drip coffee maker.

A step-by-step guide:

1. Grind the beans

The reason you’ll need a coffee grinder is that you’ll need to grind for two different brewing methods. Grind some as medium grind for the drip machine, and some as medium fine for the espresso machine.

2. Make the drip coffee

Add the medium coffee grounds to the paper filter and start the coffee machine. Depending on your coffee maker, you’ll probably have to make more than the single cup of coffee needed for this drink.

3. Pour the drip coffee

Once the drip coffee is ready, pour it into your serving glass, leaving enough room for the espresso. The recipe calls for the drip coffee to go in first so that the espresso crema is retained.

4. Make the espresso

Using the medium-fine ground coffee, pull three shots of espresso and pour them over the top of your drip coffee.

What are the differences between Dead Eye and Red Eye?

The difference between Dead Eye and Red Eye coffee is the number of espresso shots that you add to the drink. A Red Eye coffee will have a sweeter and milder taste because there is more drip coffee and less espresso. The level of espresso also affects the caffeine content of the drinks. The Dead Eye can contain around 311-373 mg of caffeine, while the Red Eye contains around 215 mg.

Want to know more? Read the Home Grounds guide to what is Red Eye coffee,

What are the differences between Dead Eye and Black Eye?

The difference between the Dead Eye and Black Eye is again the number of espresso shots added to the drink. All of the “Eye” drinks start with dripped coffee, with one shot of espresso added to create a Red Eye, two shots for a Black Eye, and three shots for a Dead Eye. This changes both the taste of the drinks and the caffeine content.

For more ways to get your caffeine kick, check out the complete list of coffee drinks.

What are the differences between Dead Eye and Lazy Eye?

The main difference between Dead Eye and Lazy Eye coffee is the level of caffeine. A Dead Eye is made by combining three shots of espresso with regular drip coffee, whereas a Lazy Eye is made by combining one or two shots of espresso with decaffeinated drip coffee. In both drinks, the espresso shots are made with caffeinated coffee. The Dead Eye will also have a stronger coffee taste due to the larger volume of espresso.