7 Coffee-Infused Spirits and Liqueurs to Try Today

Coffee liqueurs — Liquor.com / Laura Sant

Coffee has long been a popular building block for cocktails, from the Irish Coffee to the Espresso Martini. While many of these drinks rely on brewed coffee or espresso to add flavor and a caffeinated kick, a growing number of spirits and liqueurs capture the bean’s aromas and flavors, making them suitable for mixing into cocktails or pouring neat alongside a favorite dessert.

Yet these bottles aren’t all alike. In the past, super-sweetened liqueurs were the only option for adding coffee flavor to drinks. More recently, producers are dialing back the sugar, if it’s used at all, and super-concentrated cold-brew coffee has provided inspiration for many boozy bottles. Australia’s Mr Black has been a particular influence, attracting bartenders with its claim that it has half the sugar and 10 times the coffee concentration of other coffee liqueurs.

Further, a growing number of bottles celebrate the diversity of coffee-growing regions and coffee cultures from around the world. That might mean showcasing beans grown in far-flung locations, spotlighting local coffee roasters, or honing in on regional coffee-based drinks. Regardless of its inspiration, each of the following bottles offers coffee-flavored complexity that goes beyond a simple cup of joe.

Caffè Amaro Liqueur ($34)

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Ryan Maybee, the co-founder of J. Rieger & Co. in Kansas City, Missouri, says he used to blend together cold brew and amaro as an alternative to super-sweet coffee liqueurs. Inspired by that combination, his own Caffè Amaro is nuanced and bittersweet, made with coffee from local Kansas City roaster Thou Mayest and briefly barrel-aged. It has just the right balance of coffee, cocoa, and spice for sipping or mixing into cocktails.
Galliano Ristretto Liqueur ($20 for 375 mL)

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This bottle provides further proof, as if any were needed, that Italians know their coffee. The thick, velvety sipper is from the makers of golden Galliano liqueur. It features dark-roast aroma and flavor, with an assertive bittersweet tinge that channels a strong espresso and just the faintest hint of blackberry-like dark fruit. It’s easy to imagine a small pour of this served after dessert as a nightcap.
Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur ($25)

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Since coffee is naturally bitter, it makes perfect sense to include it in a bitter herbal liqueur. Germany’s Jägermeister was smart to play up cold brew in this bold release, which works well in cocktails or as a shot. (After all, this is Jäger we’re talking about.) According to its producer, the flavor profile showcases “a generous helping of strong roasted Arabica coffee and a hint of chocolatey cacao.”
Kahlúa Liqueur ($28)

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This bottle is the O.G. of coffee liqueurs. It may not have the “cool factor” of some newer bottles, and some drinkers will claim it’s too sweet, but it’s a solid liqueur that can be reliably found pretty much anywhere. Also in its favor is the fact that many cocktail recipes have been calibrated with this standard bearer in mind. Made with a rum base, it adds coffee fragrance and vanilla and brown-sugar-like richness to coffee-based drinks or classic White Russians.

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Mr Black Coffee Liqueur ($40)

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This cold-brew coffee liqueur from Australia became a bartender favorite almost as soon as it hit U.S. shelves. Its vodka base makes it a natural for Espresso Martini variations, and it features super-strong cold brew rather than mere coffee. The producer proudly claims that its brand has “half the sugar and 10 times the coffee concentration of other coffee liqueurs.” Mr Black also has released some limited-edition bottlings that spotlight single-origin coffee beans.
Ron Colón Salvadoreño Coffee Infused Rum ($44)

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Think strong, not sweet. This is not a liqueur but rather a high-proof rum, with an ABV clocking in at 55.5%. It’s “cold-coffee-infused” for 48 hours with medium-to-dark-roasted coffee beans, which deliver “dark chocolate and dried sticky plum” flavors, according to its producer, giving the rum “rich, warming, nutty” flavors that pair well with its natural tropical fruit tones.
Somrus Coffee Cream Liqueur ($30)

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This sweet and silky liqueur was inspired by kaapi, a coffee drink popular in South India. It starts with a base of Caribbean rum and blends in coffee and chicory, smoothed out with cream sourced from Wisconsin, so it pours with a chocolate-milk-like hue. Somrus’ lineup of cream liqueurs, created by the producer to celebrate her Indian heritage, also includes ones styled after spiced chai and mango lassi.