coffee liqueurs are low-alcohol, coffee-flavored cordials. See cordials. Many brands exist and are popular modifiers in a range of cocktails, especially after-dinner drinks. See modifier. Base spirits range from neutral grain spirits to aged rum, tequila, and brandy. Some examples are more strongly sweetened than others. Their coffee flavors may be derived from coffee beans, brewed coffee, or extracts and concentrates.
The best-known coffee liqueur globally is perhaps Kahlúa, a rum-based spirit created in Mexico in 1936. The Black Russian cocktail calls for Kahlúa mixed with vodka (add cream to make a White Russian). Other notable brands include Tia Maria, a Jamaican liqueur made with local rum; Patrón XO Cafe, made with silver tequila; and Galliano Ristretto, an “espresso liqueur” made from two types of coffee beans. A coffee liqueur called Allen’s Coffee Brandy is the best-selling spirit in the US state of Maine, where it’s commonly mixed with milk. Dozens of American craft distilleries, including St. George Spirits, Old Harbor, and Koval, make coffee liqueurs, cordials, and coffee-flavored spirits. See St. George Spirits. Recipes for homemade Kahlúa knockoffs have circulated for decades in the United States; bottles of the resulting DIY “Kahlúa” remain popular gifts around Christmastime. See Kahlúa.
Popular cocktails calling for coffee liqueurs include the Espresso Martini, which mixes it with vodka and espresso; the Mind Eraser, which tops coffee liqueur and vodka with club soda; the Mudslide, a blended mix of coffee liqueur, vodka, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and milk; and San Francisco bartender Jon Santer’s Revolver, which combines coffee liqueur, bourbon, and orange bitters.
See also Espresso Martini; modifier; and White Russian.
“A Maine Tradition.” http://www.allenscoffeebrandy.com/a-maine-tradition/ (accessed February 25, 2021).
George, Anita. “A Brief History of Coffee and Booze.” Paste, October 17, 2013. https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2013/10/a-brief-history-of-coffee-and-booze-1.html (accessed February 25, 2021).
Regan, Gary. “Behind the Drink: The Black Russian.” Liquor.com. http://www.liquor.com/articles/behind-the-drink-the-black-russian/#gs.hHmCHTo (accessed February 25, 2021).
By: Jason Horn