The short answer: this coffee liqueur recipe mixes 250 ml cold brew concentrate, a cooled syrup of 200 g sugar and 100 ml water, 350 ml rum or vodka at 40% and half a split vanilla pod. Rest it in a closed jar for 1 to 2 weeks, shaking it every couple of days, then strain and bottle it. It makes about 800 ml at roughly 17% alcohol.
Coffee liqueur is coffee, sugar and a spirit. Shop bottles like Kahlúa use the same three things. Made at home, you choose the beans, the sweetness and the spirit, and you start with cold brew, which tastes smooth and chocolatey instead of bitter.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Work | 15 minutes, plus a day for the cold brew |
| Wait | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Makes | About 800 ml |
| Alcohol | Roughly 17% |
| Keeps | Several months, best in the first 3 |
Ingredients
- 250 ml cold brew concentrate, undiluted
- 200 g sugar, white or light brown
- 100 ml water
- 350 ml white or dark rum, or vodka, 40% alcohol
- ½ vanilla pod, split lengthwise
- A 1 litre glass jar with a tight lid
The coffee: make the concentrate with our cold brew coffee ratio: 100 g coarse coffee to 400 ml cold water, steeped 12 to 24 hours and strained. A medium or dark roast gives the classic coffee liqueur taste.
The spirit: dark rum adds caramel and makes it closest to the shop bottles. White rum is lighter. Vodka lets the coffee do all the talking.
The sugar: light brown sugar gives a toffee note, as in our brown sugar syrup; white sugar keeps the coffee cleaner.
How to make coffee liqueur
- Make the syrup. Heat the sugar and water in a small pan, stirring, until it turns clear. Take it off the heat and let it cool completely.
- Combine. Pour the cold brew, cooled syrup and rum into the jar. Add the vanilla pod.
- Rest. Close the jar and keep it in a dark cupboard for 1 to 2 weeks. Shake it every couple of days.
- Taste. After 1 week, taste a spoonful. When the vanilla sits behind the coffee and the alcohol no longer bites, it is ready.
- Strain and bottle. Take out the vanilla pod. Pour the liqueur through a coffee filter into a clean bottle and label it with the date.
Why cold brew and not hot coffee
Hot-brewed coffee pulls out more of the bitter compounds and loses its aroma as it cools. Cold brew is smoother, and as a concentrate it carries more coffee per millilitre, so the liqueur stays strong in flavour without extra water.
No time for cold brew? Brew coffee at double the usual amount of grounds, let it cool, and use it in place of the concentrate. Expect a sharper, slightly thinner liqueur.
How sweet and how strong
| Change | Do this |
|---|---|
| Sweeter, closer to Kahlúa | Use 300 g sugar in the syrup |
| Less sweet | Use 150 g sugar |
| More coffee | Add 1 to 2 teaspoons coffee extract |
| More alcohol | Use 400 ml spirit |
This recipe comes out at roughly 17% alcohol. Shop coffee liqueurs usually sit between 16 and 20%.
A darker coffee note
Coffee extract is 1 part crushed coffee beans steeped in 4 parts vodka for 3 to 4 weeks. A teaspoon stirred into the finished liqueur deepens the coffee without adding sugar. If you reduce the extract first in the NOIDS Herb Lab on its Evaporation setting, which takes off about 50 ml of liquid per hour and stops by itself at 102 °C, you get more coffee for less liquid.
How to use coffee liqueur
- White Russian: 50 ml vodka, 20 ml coffee liqueur and 30 ml cream over ice.
- Espresso martini: 50 ml vodka, 30 ml coffee liqueur and 1 fresh espresso, shaken hard with ice and strained.
- Over ice cream: 1 to 2 tablespoons over vanilla or chocolate.
- Tiramisu: replace part of the coffee for soaking the sponge fingers with coffee liqueur.
- In baking: brush it on chocolate cake layers before filling them.
How long coffee liqueur keeps
- Closed, in a cool dark place: several months. It does not need the fridge.
- Best flavour: in the first 3 months. After that the coffee aroma slowly fades.
- Cold: chilling it makes the coffee taste stronger and the sugar less obvious.
Always strain out the vanilla pod before you store it, or the vanilla takes over.
Common mistakes
- Warm syrup: syrup added hot cooks off aroma. Let it cool first.
- Diluted cold brew: use the concentrate straight. Ready-to-drink cold brew makes a thin, watery liqueur.
- Fine grounds in the bottle: they turn the liqueur muddy and bitter. Strain through a coffee filter.
- Leaving the vanilla in: after 2 weeks it starts to taste of vanilla first and coffee second.
- Weak spirit: below 35% alcohol the liqueur keeps less well.
Questions
How long does homemade coffee liqueur last?
Several months in a closed bottle in a cool, dark cupboard. It tastes best in the first 3 months, before the coffee aroma fades.
Can I use vodka instead of rum?
Yes. Vodka gives a cleaner coffee flavour; dark rum gives a rounder, caramel one closer to Kahlúa.
Can I use instant coffee?
You can, but cold brew tastes rounder. If you use instant, dissolve it in the hot syrup before it cools.
Does homemade coffee liqueur need to be refrigerated?
No. The sugar and alcohol keep it in a cool, dark cupboard. Chill it before serving if you like.
How much alcohol is in coffee liqueur?
This recipe is roughly 17%. Shop coffee liqueurs usually sit between 16 and 20%.
How long should coffee liqueur rest before drinking?
At least 1 week, ideally 2, so the vanilla, coffee and spirit blend.
