Kahlúa
The Mexican coffee liqueur behind the Espresso Martini and the White Russian. Everything about the taste, alcohol percentage, difference from Tia Maria and the right glass for it.
Rum and arabica coffee from Veracruz
Kahlúa is a coffee liqueur from Mexico, made with rum, sugarcane and 100% arabica coffee from the state of Veracruz. The brand has existed since 1936, and the name comes from the Nahuatl language and means something like 'house of the Acolhua people'. From coffee plant to bottle, the process takes around seven years: the coffee beans grow slowly in the shade, are roasted and infused, and only then mixed with rum and vanilla.
Kahlúa is the world's most widely used coffee liqueur in cocktails and the basis of classics such as the White Russian, Black Russian and Espresso Martini. In the Netherlands, the bottle contains 16% alcohol. The brand belongs to Pernod Ricard.
In brief
Kahlúa and other coffee liqueurs
In the Netherlands, there is one Kahlúa: the original. These are the coffee liqueurs it is usually compared with.
Kahlúa Original
The black bottle with the yellow label. Sweet, full of coffee, with a hint of vanilla and rum: the standard in every cocktail bar.
Tia Maria
Jamaican coffee liqueur made with rum and arabica, stronger and slightly drier than Kahlúa, with more bitter coffee notes.
Baileys Espresso Crème
Not a coffee liqueur but a cream liqueur with coffee. Creamy and sweet; for anyone who wants a Kahlúa with milk in one bottle.
Sheridan's
The Irish double bottle: coffee-chocolate liqueur on one side, vanilla cream on the other. Pour both at once for a layered shot.
Boomsma coffee liqueur
Frisian coffee liqueur made from cold-brew arabica: soft, sweet, with toffee and a hint of orange. Delicious neat or in coffee.
For an Espresso Martini or White Russian, Kahlúa is the classic choice.
Sweet coffee, vanilla and a hint of rum
Freshly roasted coffee
Roasted coffee beans, vanilla and a hint of caramel, with the rum in the background.
Sweet and syrupy
Full and sweet, like strong coffee with lots of sugar. You can barely taste the 16% alcohol.
Long and coffee-like
The coffee lingers, with a soft, slightly bitter finish that calls for cream or ice.
Flavor profile of Kahlúa Original. Tia Maria is drier and stronger, Baileys Espresso Crème is creamier.
Three ways to drink Kahlúa
Kahlúa is rarely drunk neat. With milk, in an Espresso Martini or over ice, the coffee comes into its own best.
Espresso Martini
50 ml vodka, 30 ml Kahlúa and 30 ml fresh espresso, shaken hard with ice and strained into a coupe. Garnish with three coffee beans.
Go to the recipe →White Russian
50 ml vodka and 25 ml Kahlúa in a tumbler with ice, topped with a layer of whipped cream or whole milk. Without milk, it is a Black Russian.
Go to the recipe →Kahlúa with milk or on the rocks
50 ml Kahlúa with 100 ml cold milk in a tumbler full of ice: coffee ice cream in a glass. Or neat over ice, optionally with a splash of espresso.
Glass: tumbler →The best cocktails with Kahlúa
Espresso Martini
Vodka, espresso and Kahlúa, shaken hard until creamy foam forms. The most popular cocktail of the moment.
White Russian
Vodka, Kahlúa and cream over ice. The cocktail from The Big Lebowski.
Black Russian
Vodka and Kahlúa over ice, nothing more. Sweet, strong and ready in ten seconds.
Mudslide
Vodka, Kahlúa and Baileys, shaken or blended with ice. A dessert in a glass.The right glass for Kahlúa
A coupe for the Espresso Martini, a tumbler for the White Russian and a shot glass for the B52. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Kahlúa
Can't find your question here? Check out our cocktail recipes or get in touch.
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