What is Kahlua?

Kahlúa is a branded coffee liqueur created in Mexico in 1936. It is produced from cane spirit or rum, arabica coffee, vanilla, and sugar, then rested before bottling. Strength depends on market: the United States has long carried a 20% ABV original, reduced from 26.5% in 2004; the United Kingdom, Canada, and other markets moved to 16% in 2021. It is one coffee liqueur, not a synonym for the entire category.

Drier coffee liqueurs have more roast bitterness and less sugar. In a recipe that names Kahlúa, that sweetness is part of the specification. In a recipe that names coffee liqueur, Kahlúa is the historical default but not the only correct bottle.

Sweet coffee, vanilla, and rum richness. Sweeter and more viscous than many modern coffee liqueurs. In an Espresso Martini, real espresso keeps the drink from tasting only like sweetened coffee.

Kahlúa Especial, at 36% ABV, is drier and thinner. It mixes more like a specialty coffee liqueur than like the original.

Partners in Veracruz launched Kahlúa in 1936; the brand later passed through Allied Domecq to Pernod Ricard. The Black Russian is attributed to Gustave Tops at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels in 1949; the White Russian adds cream. The Espresso Martini (Dick Bradsell, London, 1980s) returned coffee liqueur to shaken drinks.

Popular culture, especially the White Russian in late-1990s film, kept the bottle in American home bars independently of the craft-cocktail revival.

Use Kahlúa where sweet coffee is wanted: White Russian (vodka, Kahlúa, cream) and Espresso Martini (vodka, Kahlúa, espresso). For a drier Espresso Martini, reduce Kahlúa slightly, keep the espresso shot, or split with a more bitter coffee liqueur and adjust sugar.

Store sealed, away from heat. Refrigeration after opening is optional. Do not treat the liqueur as leftover brewed coffee; it is a shelf-stable, high-sugar product with a different composition.