Coffee liqueur
Also called Kahlúa, café liqueur, liqueur de café
A sweet liqueur of coffee, sugar and spirit, usually 20 to 30% ABV. Mexican Kahlúa (rum based, 20% in the US) set the sweet template; newer bottlings such as Mr Black run drier and more bitter. It carries the Espresso Martini and the White Russian and adds depth to stirred drinks.
- roasted coffee
- vanilla
- caramel
- dark chocolate
- rum sweetness
- toasted nut
Origin
Kahlúa was created in Veracruz in 1936 by blending local shade grown coffee with spirit, reached the United States by 1940 and was built there by importer Jules Berman, who also popularized the White Russian. Dick Bradsell created the Espresso Martini in London in 1983 with it. By 2005 it was the world's leading coffee liqueur and joined Pernod Ricard. The modern wave of drier, coffee forward liqueurs (Mr Black, Borghetti, Galliano Ristretto) has pushed bartenders to specify a brand in recipes.
Common uses
- Espresso Martini
- White Russian
- Black Russian
- a coffee Negroni
- Revolver with bourbon and orange bitters
Sources
- Kahlúa: history, Difford's Guide · secondary source, retrieved 2026-10-11
- Kahlúa Rum and Coffee Liqueur, Difford's Guide · secondary source, retrieved 2026-10-11