The Essential Guide to Coffee Liqueur

Love it or hate it, the resurgence of the Espresso Martini—which shows no signs of slowing down for some shut-eye anytime soon—helped pave the way for the welcome arrival of many new coffee liqueurs. 

Rich and aromatic, the best bottles in this category play well in old standards like the White Russian and Spanish-style Carajillos, as well as updated Old-Fashioned, Manhattan and Negroni variations. They’re delicious simply on their own over ice, as a nightcap or as a booster to tiramisu or affogato.

The last time we surveyed the current coffee liqueur scene, Mr. Black, which was introduced in 2013, was already on its way to its current ubiquity. Since then, the category has grown widely, and the list below comprises five essentials that bartenders swear by.

It should be noted that there are many other brands worth seeking out, from top-notch Italian expressions from Meletti, Lucano and Luxardo to new releases with alternative base spirits, like Cafe de Olla, a coffee liqueur from Mexican rum producer Paranubes. In the U.S., plenty of distilleries are keeping things local by collaborating with homegrown coffee roasters, like Songbird by Cardinal Spirits and Hopscotch Coffee in Bloomington, Indiana, and the coffee liqueur created by Madison, Wisconsin’s State Line Distillery, which is made with beans from Kin-Kin Coffee, among others.