What is a Red Eye Coffee?

A red eye is a cup of drip coffee with a shot of espresso added. Total caffeine: roughly 158mg per serving, 95mg from the drip plus 63mg from the espresso. More caffeine than either drink alone.

Also called a shot in the dark, a hammerhead, or a depth charge depending on where you are. Same drink, regional nicknames.

158mg per serving. A double red eye can hit 220mg.

The red eye is popular among night workers, early morning travelers, and people who need to be functional before 6am. At specialty shops in Portland and Seattle, ordering a red eye with quality pour over coffee and a well-pulled shot is a genuinely good cup, not just a caffeine delivery mechanism.

"A red eye adds one espresso shot. A black eye adds two. A dead eye adds three. At that point you are ordering an event, not a drink."

The escalation: red eye, black eye, dead eye

Red eye: one espresso shot added. Black eye: two shots. Dead eye: three shots. Each step adds about 63mg of caffeine. The FDA considers 400mg daily safe for healthy adults, so a dead eye puts you most of the way there in one cup. More on caffeine in how much caffeine is in coffee.

How to order one

At specialty shops, ask for a drip coffee with a shot of espresso. Not all shops use the name "red eye," so describing it works everywhere. It tastes best when both components are good. Find specialty shops with both a pour over program and quality espresso in Chicago and Boston.

Related: Caffeine in coffee, Americano vs drip, What is a pour over?