Spirits & Liqueurs Liqueur

The 11 Best Coffee Liqueurs to Drink in 2022

Perfect additions for your White and Black Russians.

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Coffee liqueur is an integral part of some classic cocktails, like the White and Black Russian. There are many different brands to choose from these days, from classic bottles that have been around for decades to newer craft distillery expressions. “For me, the cleaner the better when it comes to these types of liqueurs,” said Alli Torres, GM and mixologist at Freehold Miami. “We've all had overly viscous and sweet modifiers, so when something more traditional comes across my table, I  prefer it. We can always add sugar if needed, but we can't take it out of the product.”

One of the drinks on the menu at Freehold Miami is the Expresso Martini, made with cold brew concentrate and Borghetti coffee liqueur. Torres also recommends swapping out vermouth with coffee liqueur in a Manhattan, along with chocolate or walnut bitters.

What all coffee liqueurs have in common is providing a boost of caffeine with roasted chocolate and espresso flavors, combined with a bit of sweetness and sometimes even some herbal notes. Here are 11 of the best coffee liqueurs to drink now.

Best Overall

Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur

Minibar Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur

Minibar

Region: Australia | ABV: 25% | Tasting Notes: Cocoa, bitter, coffee

“Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur is legit,” says Darnell Holguin, co-host of the Azucar y Limon podcast and co-founder of Silver Sun. “This Australian brand uses quality Arabica coffee that is carefully brewed and blended with Australian wheat vodka and cane sugar to give it a nice kick and great level of sweetness for cocktails or enjoying on it's own.” Reniel Garcia, Bar Director at Havana 1957 on Española Way in Miami Beach, FL, is also a fan. “Expect big flavor along with the taste of the coffee and sweetness from the Australian wheat vodka,” he says.

Best Splurge

Rhine Hall Coffee Liqueur

Rhine Hall Coffee Liqueur
Courtesy of Astor Wines.

Region: Chicago, IL | ABV: 32% | Tasting Notes: Fruit, coffee, vanilla

This coffee liqueur from Chicago’s Rhine Hall was first released in 2019 in collaboration with the restaurant Alinea. The base of the spirit is an in-house distilled fruit brandy that is aged in heavily charred new American oak barrels. Local coffee roasters provide the java, and finally demerara sugar and whole vanilla beans are added to round out the flavor. This bottle is a bit of a splurge, but it’s well worth it.

Best for Espresso Martini

Kahlúa Original Coffee Liqueur

Wine.com Kahlúa Original Coffee Liqueur

Wine.com

Region: Mexico | ABV: 20% | Tasting Notes: Caramel, coffee, chestnut

“This very classic Mexican coffee liqueur is widely used worldwide for cocktails and cooking because of its great coffee notes, versatility and balance,” says Pablo Guerrero, Food & Beverage Manager at Azabu Miami Beach, Plan Do See. The brand has been around since the 1930s, combining Arabica coffee beans and sugar grown in Mexico. Kahlua is a must-have ingredient for any espresso martini, adding a sweet and roasty boost of flavor to the alcoholic bite of the vodka.

Read Next: The Best Martini Glasses, According to Experts

Best Budget

Louisa's Liqueur

Louisa's Liqueur

Total Wine

Region: Tennessee | ABV: 20% | Tasting Notes: Caramel, coffee, pecan

This coffee liqueur from Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery in Tennessee incorporates flavors of pecan and caramel into the mix, with just enough sweetness to make this a good choice for sipping or mixing. And you can usually find it for less than $25, so it’s a good budget option. It’s named after Louisa Nelson, who ran the original Green Brier Distillery from the late 1800s until Prohibition forced it to close.

Best for White Russian

Tia Maria Liqueur

Tia Maria
Courtesy of totalwine.com.

Region: Italy | ABV: 26.5% | Tasting Notes: Caramel, vanilla, espresso

“Tia Maria [used to be] made with Jamaican coffee beans,” says Carlos Lopez, Bar Manager at Stiltsville Fish Bar in Miami Beach, FL. “That gave it a distinct and more genuine coffee taste compared to other options out there.” Even though it’s made in Italy now, Tia Maria still uses high quality coffee beans, along with Jamaican rum and sugar. Nestor Marchand, Director of Food and Beverage at Plunge Beach Resort in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea, recalls that it was one of his mother’s favorites. “The exotic fusion of natural vanilla, combined with the finest coffee roasted to perfection,” he says, “it's hard to only have one.”

Read Next: The Best Vodkas

Best for Black Russian

Caffe Borghetti Liqueur

Caffe Borghetti Liqueur

Whisky Exchange

Region: Italy | ABV: 25% | Tasting Notes: Coffee, vanilla, sugar

This espresso-based liqueur uses the same recipe invented by Ugo Borghetti back in 1860. It’s fairly versatile, and can be enjoyed neat, chilled, or over ice. It also works very well in cocktails like a Black Russian, the classic that incorporates vodka and coffee liqueur. The company behind it also makes Punt e Mes and Fernet-Branca, so you can be assured this is a high quality product.

Best for Old Fashioned

St. George Spirits NOLA Coffee Liqueur

Wine.com St. George Spirits NOLA Coffee Liqueur

Wine.com

Region: California | ABV: 25% | Tasting Notes: Chicory, vanilla, coffee

If you haven’t tried a bit of coffee liqueur in your Old Fashioned yet, pour a splash in next time you are mixing one up. The earthy, roasted notes play nicely with the sweetness and spice of the bourbon or rye. Try using California’s St. George Spirits NOLA Coffee Liqueur, based on the flavors of New Orleans-style coffee. This means that chicory root is part of the recipe, along with sugar, vanilla, and Yirgacheffe coffee beans.

Read Next: The Best Bourbons

Best Digestif

Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee

Drizly Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee

Drizly

Region: Germany | ABV: 33% | Tasting Notes: Spice, licorice, coffee

Germany's Jägermeister is known worldwide for its intense herbal flavor, often served as an ice-cold shot from a machine behind the bar. In 2019, the brand released this new expression, combining the liqueur’s 56 botanicals with the flavors of cold brew coffee. The results are quite pleasing, as the chocolate notes work well with the signature floral bouquet. Try this one ice cold as well for the full effect.

Best for Sipping

Patron XO Cafe Tequila

Drizly Patron XO Cafe Tequila

Drizly

Region: Mexico | ABV: 35% | Tasting Notes: Chocolate, vanilla, agave

“Patron XO is an excellent choice for sipping on its own and very smooth to drink,” says Frederic Najem, Director of Food & Beverage at Bank & Bourbon and Loews Philadelphia Hotel. “It has a nice fresh coffee aroma balanced with chocolate and vanilla, and the taste of fresh-roasted coffee with a note of chocolate, vanilla and light tequila.”

Best with Whiskey

Don Ciccio & Figli Concerto Coffee Liqueur

Don Ciccio & Figli Concerto Coffee Liqueur

Region: Washington, DC | ABV: 12% | Tasting Notes: Licorice, dark chocolate, barley

Coffee liqueur does go well with whiskey, including bourbon, Irish, and Scotch. But you have to pick the right bottle to mix or pair, and this liqueur from DC’s Don Ciccio and Figli fits the bill. The distillery says the recipe dates back to 1696, incorporating barley and espresso roasted using acacia wood along with 15 botanicals. Next time you are thinking of making a whiskey drink with coffee flavors, try this one out.

Best with Dessert

Molinari Caffe Liqueur

Molinari Caffe Liqueur

Total Wine

Region: Italy | ABV: 36% | Tasting Notes: Licorice, vanilla, caramel

Coffee liqueur can be a great dessert drink option, providing you find one that balances notes of sweetness with earthy roasted coffee flavors. Italian brand Molinari is made for after-dinner sipping, combining coffee with Sambuca for a sweet but not saccharine sipper with a complex palate.

Related: The 8 Best Sipping Rums That Are Older Than a 6th Grader

Final Verdict

Mr. Black (view at Drizly) is the best overall coffee liqueur to choose. This Australian spirit has become very popular with both bartenders and consumers, because it’s a high-quality expression in the category that is made simply with excellent coffee beans, wheat vodka, and just the right amount of sugar. You can drink Mr. Black on its own, but it will also enhance any drink you decide to make with it.

What to Look For

You can find many different styles of coffee liqueur, from big brands and craft distilleries alike. Decide how sweet you prefer the spirit to be, as some have more sugar added than others. There are classics that keep the palate relatively simple with coffee, vanilla, and caramel flavors, while other craft options might be flavored with botanicals resulting in a more fragrant, complex palate. Finally, are you going to sip this neat or mix in a cocktail, or perhaps both? Once you know how you’d like to use a coffee liqueur, that should help you decide which flavor profile to choose.

FAQs

What is coffee liqueur and how is it made?

Coffee liqueur is a low-proof spirit which uses coffee for the predominant flavoring component. Some of the bigger brands infuse a base spirit with coffee flavoring and other additives, while others truly infuse the spirit with real coffee to extract the flavors, along with other things like vanilla beans or botanicals. Sugar is usually added as well to develop a level of sweetness that the spirit calls for.

What's the average ABV?

ABV varies with coffee liqueur, but it is usually low, ranging somewhere between 10 and 30 percent.

How is it best to drink/use in a cocktail?

The lower proof makes coffee liqueur a good cocktail component to mix with other spirits in cocktails. There are classics like the White and Black Russian, of course, which combine coffee liqueur, vodka, and cream for the former. But you can try subbing it for vermouth in a Manhattan, add some to an Old Fashioned with whiskey or even anejo tequila as the base spirit, or add some to a highball in the summertime to enhance the flavor and provide some caffeine. And a decent coffee liqueur will taste good sipping it neat or over some ice as well.

Why Trust Liquor.com?

Jonah Flicker is an experienced writer who has been covering spirits and traveling the world visiting distilleries to taste and discover for many years. His work has appeared in many different national outlets covering trends, new releases, and the stories and innovators behind the spirits. His first love remains whiskey, but he is partial to tequila, rum, gin, cognac, and all things distilled.

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