Coffee liqueur is used in a variety of well-known cocktails, including the Black and White Russian. There are also many alternative choices, including decades-old bottles as well as newer craft distillery concoctions. They all have in common a roasted chocolate and espresso taste with some sweetness and even herbal undertones. Here are the greatest coffee liqueurs to try now.
1. Mr Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
“Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur is reputable,” says Darnell Holguin, co-host of the Azucar y Limon podcast and Silver Sun Group’s co-founder.“This Australian firm creates high-quality arabica coffee that has been carefully brewed with Australian wheat vodka and cane sugar to give it a punch and sweetness for cocktails or sipping alone.”
2. Kahlúa Original
Kahlúa is a Mexican liqueur that has been around since the 1930s, combining arabica coffee beans and sugar grown in Mexico. It’s also an essential component of an Espresso Martini, adding a sweet and toasty flavour accent to the alcoholic sting of the vodka.
3. Tia Maria Liqueur
Tia Maria [formerly] contained Jamaican coffee beans, according to Carlos Lopez, the bar manager of Stiltsville Fish Bar on Miami Beach. “Compared to other choices available, it had a more genuine coffee flavour,” he says. Tia Marie is still prepared with high-quality coffee beans, Jamaican rum and sugar, despite the fact that it’s now manufactured in Italy.
This liqueur was one of his mother’s favourites, according to Nestor Marchand, the director of food and beverage at Plunge Beach Resort. “It’s impossible to go wrong with only one of the unique combinations of natural vanilla and top-quality coffee roasted to perfection,” he adds.
4. Leopold Bros. Coffee Liqueur
Leopold Bros, a Colorado distillery that makes an excellent range of spirits, including this coffee liqueur, which was originally launched in 2002. Freshly roasted coffee beans are placed in a water press after which the mixture is transferred to a base spirit containing raw cane sugar. If you want real coffee nuances to shine, choose this Black Russian made with freshly ground coffee beans. Don’t be alarmed if there’s some sediment in the bottle; it just shows the distillery is utilizing genuine coffee beans during production.
5. St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur
If you’ve never used coffee liqueur in an Old Fashioned, you’re missing out. The earthy, roasted tones complement the sweetness and spice of bourbon or rye beautifully. Use this California-based St. George Spirits coffee liqueur, which is made from New Orleans-style flavours. This implies chicory root and cane sugar are used along with vanilla beans and Yirgacheffe coffee beans.
6. Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee
Jägermeister is a popular German liqueur often served as an ice-cold shot from a machine behind the bar. In 2019, the brand launched this new variation, which combines the liqueur’s 56 botanicals with cold brew coffee tastes. The chocolate undertones complement the distinctive floral aroma nicely. For maximum impact, try serving it icy cold.
7. Patrón XO Cafe
Patrón XO is an excellent beverage to enjoy on its own, and it’s really smooth to drink, according to Frederic Najem, the director of food and beverage at The Loews Philadelphia Hotel. It has a lovely fresh coffee aroma, as well as chocolate and vanilla undertones, and a smooth taste of freshly roasted coffee with hints of chocolate and vanilla. Made in Jalisco, Mexico, this low-proof coffee liqueur is handcrafted.
8. Kapali Coffee Liqueur
Kapali is a Mexican coffee liqueur that combines coffee beans grown at high altitudes with locally sourced vanilla beans. This isn’t the most complex drink on the market, but its cheap price, pleasant sweetness, and tastes of chocolate and roasted coffee make it ideal for any cocktail requiring a coffee liqueur.
