STiR coffee and tea magazine

STiR coffee and tea 47 Australia's sophisticated coffee culture was one of the first to spawn a coffee liqueur that focuses explicitly on the flavor profile of specialty coffee beans. Photo courtesy Mr Black The pronounced coffee flavor and low sugar content of Mr Black coffee liqueurs makes them popular with bartenders worldwide. Photo courtesy Mr Black the country in which the liqueur is produced, thus capturing distinctive elements of origin that make each brand unique. Many of these liqueurs come from Italy, a logical locale given the country's passion for cof- fee, which has been a fixture since the 1500s. As its name would suggest, Milan's Borghetti Caffé Espresso, a brand that has existed since 1860, uses an espresso blend of arabica and robusta beans. Another longstanding brand is Luxardo, which was founded in 1821. In response to the huge market increase for liqueurs, Luxardo started roll- ing out new styles in the 2000s; their espresso li- queur, with the deep chocolatey/vanilla character of espresso roasted beans, launched in the United States in 2022. Specialty Coffee Inspires a Coffee Liqueur Renaissance The Espresso Martini and other coffee-based cocktails have experienced a massive renaissance in the last decade thanks to the influx of new cof- fee liqueurs and spirits. In a prescient move, St. George Spirits from Northern California launched their NOLA coffee liqueur in 2014. Head distiller Dave Smith created the liqueur as a "love song" for his wife, with whom he shared chicory cof- fee in New Orleans early in their relationship. For Smith, allowing the key ingredients—Ethio- pian Yirgacheffe coffee beans and French-roasted chicory root—to "take center stage" was essential, and he achieved this by dialing down the sugar. In doing so, he captured, in his words, "a time and a place" that you can taste. In 2013, Australian upstart Mr. Black coffee liqueur started luring enthusiastic Aussie coffee drinkers; its intensely pure and balanced flavor im- mediately won the hearts of American bartenders after being introduced in the US in 2018. Designer Tom Baker and distiller Phillip Moore eschewed spices, vanilla, and anything that could get in the way of the coffee flavor. "Mr Black was really the first to make a coffee liqueur that actual- ly tastes like specialty coffee," Baker says. "Four ingredients, no spices, va- nilla, caramel, or an overpowering base spirit. Just extraordinary specialty coffee from high-quality growers in South America and Africa, treated with respect in the production process—and in the glass." Mr. Black shook things up further when they released their limited edition Mezcal Cask collaboration with Ilegal Mezcal. Along with these more accessible brands are many smaller distillers whose products are worth seeking out. The Straightaway Cocktail company created a coffee liqueur as a base for their canned Nitro Espresso martini. Thus, Ac- compani coffee liqueur was born using Stumptown coffee. Co-founder and CPO Casey Richwine focused on keeping the coffee flavor prominent by pro- ducing a "dry liqueur," meaning that it relies less on heightened sugar levels and more on nuances in the key flavor. Another interesting offering is Goofy Bandit from New York. The amus- ing name is accurate, reflecting the playful balance of sweet to bitter with hints of vanilla. David Curiel took his time to produce a natural product using organic, fair-trade coffee from Columbia, Peru, and Brazil. But perhaps the most interesting element is that the distilled base spirit comes from whey, which is left over in the process of making yogurt. Each of these liqueurs and the plethora of others on the market have something unique to offer. If stood side by side in a blind taste test, none would taste like the other. Some are predominantly sweet, like Kahlúa, while others lean toward bittersweetness, like St. George and Mr. Black. The flavor combinations are endless depending on how the liqueurs are used—sipping solo, flavoring hot coffee, or in a cocktail like an Espresso Martini. The type of bean, where and how it is grown, and how it is harvested af- fects the character of each coffee liqueur. For instance, the robusta beans in Borghetti Caffé Espresso reflect the strong dark flavor of espresso roast blends. At the same time, the sweet, fruity, and chocolaty character of the arabica beans balances the bitterness of the robusta. Mr. Black melds the nutty, caramelly notes of South American beans with the fruitier, even wine-like qualities found in African coffees. Every choice a distiller makes influences the profile of their coffee liqueur, and, in turn, each profile appeals to a different audience or serves a different role. Just as a consumer might prefer one type of bean for their breakfast sipper and another for an after-dinner digestif, so too will the applica- tion and flavor profile of coffee liqueur define its place in one's cocktail.

• Cover