Tom Haverford's Snake Juice from Parks and Rec

Quick answer: Snake Juice is Tom Haverford's high-proof coffee drink from Parks and Rec. Since the show never gave a recipe, here is an inspired version using gin, rum, Kahlúa, and coffee that is much lighter than the 140 proof original.

Parks and Rec is one of my easygoing shows, the kind I play in the background while I'm doing something else. It's older now, but it still holds up, and the things I remember most from it are Snake Juice, Chicki-chicki fry fry and Treat Yo Self.

Tom Haverford, played by Aziz Ansari, makes Snake Juice while working at the Snakehole Lounge, a nightclub in Pawnee, Indiana. It debuts in Season 3, Episode 13, "The Fight," and is described as a high-end, Kahlúa-style liquor made by mixing various types of alcohol, sugar, and coffee.

In the show, it is 140 proof and packed with caffeine. Donna Meagle calls it "rat poison," and in the show it comes in a teardrop-shaped decanter with a gold wire-wrapped stopper. The show never provides a recipe, and on screen it just looks like a brown drink. So this is an inspired recipe, not an official one.

Because the real thing is 140 proof, this inspired recipe is much lighter and is not trying to match it. If you want a coffee-forward cocktail in the spirit of the Snakehole Lounge, keep reading.

The Snake Juice-style cocktail

This is the stronger version, and it is also on our Snake Juice recipe page. It is equal parts gin, rum, coffee liqueur and coffee, with a little syrup.

What you need: 1 oz gin, 1 oz dark rum, 1 oz coffee liqueur (Kahlúa), 1 oz strong cold coffee, 1/4 oz simple syrup (to taste, the liqueur is already sweet). Shake with ice, strain over fresh ice in an old-fashioned glass.

Lighter Snake Juice version

If the first one is too strong, use this. It has more coffee and less spirit.

What you need: 1/2 oz gin, 1/2 oz dark rum, 1 oz coffee liqueur, 2 oz strong cold coffee, 1/4 oz simple syrup. Same method.

Make Snake Juice look the part

• Use an old-fashioned glass. It gives the drink a grounded, bar-like feel.
• The coffee should be strong and cold. If it is warm, it will melt your ice too fast and dilute the drink.
• Garnish is optional, but a coffee bean or a small orange twist works.
• The glass is the easy part. The show's drink is just brown, so anything in an old-fashioned glass with coffee in it passes.

What about Everclear in Snake Juice?

Given how drunk everyone got in the show, my guess is that someone added Everclear. That is only my theory, not anything the show says. Everclear is 190 proof and restricted or banned in some states, so it is not in this recipe.

Caffeine and alcohol in Snake Juice

This drink combines caffeine and alcohol. Drink it slowly.

Snake Juice questions

What is Snake Juice?

It is Tom Haverford's drink in Parks and Rec: a Kahlúa-style liquor made from a mix of alcohol, sugar and coffee, at 140 proof.

What episode is Snake Juice in?

It debuts in Season 3, Episode 13 of Parks and Rec, "The Fight."

Is this the official recipe?

No. The show never gives a recipe. This is an inspired version based on the ingredients fans commonly cite.

Is Snake Juice really 140 proof?

In the show, yes: 140 proof is 70% alcohol by volume. This recipe is much lighter.

Can I use other spirits?

Yes. The recipe calls for gin and dark rum, but you can experiment with other spirits as long as you balance the sweetness and coffee.

Where can I watch Parks and Rec?

It ended in 2015 and streams on Peacock in the US. Streaming deals change, so check to see if it is still available.

If you want another coffee liqueur drink, try our Black Russian, White Russian or Espresso Martini.

Cheers, and happy drinking.