A red eye is a fortified coffee

Coffee

Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...

 drink in which espresso

Espresso

Espresso is a concentrated beverage brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee. Espresso is widely known throughout the world....

 is combined with normal drip brew

Drip brew

Drip brewing, or filtered coffee, is a method for brewing coffee which involves pouring water over roasted, ground coffee beans contained in a filter. Water seeps through the coffee, absorbing its oils and essences, solely under gravity, then passes through the bottom of the filter...

 coffee. It is known by various names, some of which refer to different variants.

Variants

Drip coffee to which espresso is added may be called a red eye, black eye, or dead eye, depending on the number of shots which has been added.

While "black eye" was named for the appearance of the circular black marking caused by pouring the shot on the top of the cup of coffee with cream, the "red eye" was named for the extra added zip needed to stay awake through an overnight "red eye" flight

Red-eye flight

A red-eye flight is any flight departing late at night and arriving early the next morning. The term red-eye derives from the fatigue symptom of having red eyes, which can be caused or aggravated by late-night travel....

 from the West Coast to New York.

A weaker variant on the drink is the "lazy eye" - a shot of espresso is added to decaffeinated coffee.

Alternative names

The red eye has many monikers, depending on the region.

• In Alaska
  Alaska
  Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
  
  , it is known as a "sludge cup," possibly in reference to the state's large petroleum industry
  Petroleum industry
  The petroleum industry includes the global processes of exploration, extraction, refining, transporting , and marketing petroleum products. The largest volume products of the industry are fuel oil and gasoline...
  
   (see oil sludge
  Oil sludge
  Oil sludge or black sludge is a solid or gel in motor oil caused by the oil gelling or solidifying, usually at temperatures lower than 100 degrees Celsius....
  
  ).
• In the Pacific Northwest
  Pacific Northwest
  The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
  
  , a single and double shot is known as a "shot in the dark" and a "double shot in the dark" respectively.
• At Whitemoor Mine it was known as a Wellard
  Wellard
  Wellard is a fictional Belgian Tervuren dog from the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He first appeared in the series on 18 October 1994, and became EastEnders longest-serving pet, before being killed off on 15 August 2008. Although the character is male, he has been played primarily by three female...
  
   Coffee - a reference to the dog in Eastenders
  EastEnders
  EastEnders is a British television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985 and continuing to today. EastEnders storylines examine the domestic and professional lives of the people who live and work in the fictional London Borough of Walford in the East End...
  
   and the fact that one had to be "Well Hard", i.e. tough, to drink it.
• Two other alternatives to the name are depth charge or hammerhead.
• At the Horse Brass pub in Portland, Oregon it may be referred to as a "Stink Eye".
• A variant in northern California is known as the "Train Wreck."
• Parts of the Northeast coast in the US refer to it as the "mondo".
• Pumpkin Spice coffee with a shot of Ristretto
  Ristretto
  Ristretto is a very "short" shot of espresso coffee. Originally this meant pulling a hand press faster than usual using the same amount of water as a regular shot of espresso. Since the water came in contact with the grinds for a much shorter time the caffeine is extracted in reduced ratio to the...
  
   is also known as a "Jack o Lantern".

Other drinks

In Canada and parts of the US, a red eye is a traditional drink combining tomato juice or clamato

Clamato

Clamato is a drink made of reconstituted tomato juice concentrate flavored with spices and clam broth. Made by Mott's, the name is a portmanteau of "clam" and "tomato"...

with beer . Red Eye is also an Australian energy drink brand .