Coffee Liqueur

Mmmmm, coffee goodness condensed into a rich liqueur, what could be better?

I’m a devotee of the coffee drinks (lattes and the like) but not so much an actual coffee drinker, so Kahlua and others of it’s ilk are right up my alley. One little hiccup: I’m not supposed to have any caffeine. Granted, it’s tough to avoid ALL caffeine and it’s not like I’m allergic, but I try to keep as much as possible out of my system. Which leads one (me) to ask, how much caffeine is in coffee liqueur?

Apparently I’m not the only one to wonder but the information is just not out there for public consumption. Thankfully, Ted Carnahan not only asked the question, but asked it of the source and got an answer:

Kahlua actually has very low levels of caffeine, (approximately 4.85 mg in each 1.5 oz drink).

Which, compared to a cup of coffee that has 100mg or more caffeine, means that there’s virtually none in a shot and therefore safe for us decaf drinkers and anyone who wants a nightcap in their nightcap without the potential insomnia.

Now, what to DO with the liqueur… that’s the real question. I was going to post the recipe for Mudslide (probably my favorite coffee liqueur drink) as compiled by AJ Rathbun in his book,Good Spirits, but then I read the note. The note suggested that maybe using a chocolate vodka would be a nice touch. Me? Add chocolate to a cocktail? How could I resist?

I didn’t have chocolate vodka but I did have Godiva liqueur on the shelf so I figured a 3:1 vodka to Godiva would probably yield the same results (if not better). Plus, I happened to pick up some vanilla vodka during my last supply run so I thought I’d give that a whirl while I was at it. The result? Mmmmmmm. It was like drinking a rich, mocha milkshake (I actually got out the blender for this one).

CHF Mocha Mudslide

1 cup ice
1 oz coffee liqueur
1 oz Irish cream liqueur
3/4 oz Vanilla vodka
1/4 oz chocolate liqueur

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.

Enjoy the holiday weekend, folks! Have fun and be safe!