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It can be said that Kahlua coffee liqueur is the purest embodiment of a regional product. Each drop is created in Mexico, using ingredients grown in the state of Veracruz, just three hours east of Mexico City. At first it will seem that it will be very difficult to recreate such a drink at home. But if you arm yourself with the knowledge scattered bit by bit on the Internet, making a worthy imitation of this amazing liqueur is very simple.
What will we deal with? Created in the Mexican state of Yucatan in 1936 by four enterprising amigos, Kalua is the world’s original and best-selling coffee liqueur. It is made by mixing roasted and coarsely ground Arabica coffee beans with water, cane alcohol and vanilla extract. Before bottling, the drink rests for eight weeks and is tinted with caramel syrup for a rich dark brown color.
To date (April 2019), the Kahlua line, owned by the Pernod Ricard holding, includes 7 individual coffee liqueurs: the original Kahlua, a strong version of Kahlúa Especial, Kahlúa Chili Chocolate (chili and chocolate), Kahlúa Mint Mocha (mint and chocolate), Kahlúa Salted Caramel (salted caramel), Kahlúa French Vanilla (French vanilla) and ready-made Espresso Martini cocktail. We will try to make the original Kahlua, but with a proper understanding of homemade drinks, making other versions of the coffee liqueur will not be difficult at all.
Coffee on Romovy in high esteem. In addition to our stories about its types and methods of preparation, we regularly publish various recipes for alcoholic beverages based on it. For example, a material was recently released with recipes for 5 original coffee liqueurs (paired with 5 recipes for tea liqueurs). Even earlier, we told you how to make coffee wine, and in this material you will find 5 recipes for completely unsweetened coffee tinctures. Study.
To make a really Kalua-like imitation, you have to do some research. Fortunately, there are landmarks and there are many of them. What we know about the production of Mexican coffee liqueur at the moment:
- Coffee. Arabica from the state of Veracruz. Slow roasting below normal temperature results in less caramelization of the sugars and generally brighter coffee flavors with high acidity and medium body. Coarse grinding, cold brewing (Cold Brew).
Conclusion: it is optimal to use medium roasted Arabica coffee, coarse grinding (preferably on a burr grinder – this way a more accurate acidity is preserved), as for a French press, or a little finer (but larger than for espresso), cold brewing is preferable, which gives less bitter and soft extract.
Spied on the production in Veracruz.
- Vanillin. The Kalua plants use vanilla extract made from vanilla beans, also grown in Veracruz. The technology of its preparation remains a “brand secret”, but it is unlikely that it differs much from the standard preparation of the extract.
Conclusion: It is best to use vanilla extract, but the vanilla bean equivalent is still a viable option (average 1 tsp extract = 2,5 cm vanilla bean with seeds). Vanilla sugar will not be an equivalent substitute, but in the absence of another, you can use it (1 tsp extract = 10-15 g of sugar). We recommend that you refuse vanillin right away – its strong chemical taste and complexity in the sample are not compatible with the desired delicate taste balance.
- Alcohol. Another “brand secret”, but it is known for sure that this is cane alcohol, obtained from cane sugar. The original (classic) Kalua contains 20% alcohol by volume (21,5% for the US state of Ohio). Until 2004, the strength of the liquor was 26,5% alcohol by volume. The Kahlua line also has a stronger version of the Kahlúa Especial liqueur, which contains 35% alcohol.
Conclusion: it is optimal to use rum with a fairly pronounced taste of cane raw materials. For moonshiners, we recommend paying attention to our molasses rum recipes, which give just such a drink (look towards more refined rum with “rum oils”, the second recipe in the material).
Sugar cane plantation for Kalua in Veracruz
- Sugar. There is a big gap here, since nowhere was it possible to find reliable information about its addition (it is only known that caramel color is added to the liquor for color). At the same time, the official website of the manufacturer indicates that the original Kahlua contains sugar 44 g / 100 ml. Usually they write that corn syrup is added to it, but this is not accurate (although it looks like the truth).
Conclusion: in the original Kalua, the sensory perception of sweetness does not quite correspond to 44% sugar (it is really very viscous, but not cloying), in homemade it all depends on the type of coffee extract. For freshly ground coffee beans we recommend starting with 300g/l, for instant coffee 300-350g/l, for espresso 350-440g/l. If you decide to use vodka or sorting instead of rum, you can cheat and take expressive cane sugar (brown, demerara, turbinado, muscavado), which will give the drink the necessary molasses motifs.
- Organoleptic. For reference, we describe the flavor profile of the liquor. Appearance: transparent, but practically impervious to light, deep brown color. fragrance: coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla. Taste: slightly thick and sweet; dominated by dark chocolate and coffee, with pronounced vanilla, hints of sweet toffee and exotic spices (nutmeg, cinnamon), light smoke. Aftertaste: long warm and spicy, mocha, espresso and white chocolate.
Laid out on the shelves, now you can cook.
Kahlua coffee liqueur recipe
Pretty accurate imitation of the Mexican coffee liqueur Kalua, both in taste and preparation technology. Fortress ~20%, sugar ~30%.
A type liquor
Kitchen mexican
Prepare 12 hours
Cooking 10 minutes
Total 12 hours 10 minutes
Portions 2 liter
Ingredients
- 100-120 г medium roast coffee beans (coarse grinding)
- 600 г granulated sugar (better than cane)
- 8 h. l. vanilla extract (or 2 vanilla pods 10 cm long)
- 0,75 л clean water
- 1 л light or dark rum (or vodka, brandy 40%)
Instructions
Brew coffee in a cold way: mix coarsely ground arabica beans with 750 ml of pure water and leave in a dark, cool place for 12-18 hours (no more than 24 hours, otherwise the coffee will start to taste bitter). Strain through a coffee filter.
Pour the finished coffee into a jar of a suitable volume and add enough water so that the total volume is the previous 750 ml (part of the water will remain in the used coffee cake). Add sugar and mix thoroughly until it is completely dissolved.
Add rum and vanilla extract or vanilla pods cut lengthwise to the coffee syrup (scrape the seeds and add to the jar). Close the jar tightly and leave to infuse in a dark, cool place.
Depending on the source of vanillin used, the timing will be different. If an extract is used, 3-5 days is enough to mix the flavors. Vanilla pods should be left in the rum for a period of 3 days to 2 weeks with periodic sampling. Stir the infusion daily so that the sugar dissolves completely.
When the taste suits, take out the vanilla or, if an extract was used, filter the finished liquor through a coffee or cotton filter and pour into clean bottles. If desired, the drink can be tinted with caramel color for a more saturated color.
You can try imitation Kalua immediately or after 2-3 weeks of rest, which is preferable. Liquor should be stored in a dark, cool place. Consume within a year, but the pronounced taste of coffee will begin to degrade earlier, so it is better to drink it 3-4 months in advance.
Field notes
Since we are preparing the liquor ourselves, it makes sense to practice with its variability. First of all, you can change the amount of coffee bean, making the coffee extract more or less strong. Adjust the amount of sugar to taste, but 30% in this case is very good. With cold brewing, you can “steal” 300 ml of water to make a rich syrup – with syrup, drinks are softer than with cold mixing of sugar.
The strength can be adjusted by the amount of water or a stronger alcohol base can be used. For example, to get a stronger drink, say 25%, you need to take 300 ml of water and, accordingly, 500 grams of sugar for ~ 30% sweetness (do not forget that every 100 g of sugar increases the volume of the result by about 60 ml).
Use a more pronounced Jamaican-style rum, such as Appleton Estate (check out our rum type guide for tips on buying the right one, or brew a Buccaneer Bob-style rum – look at the link above) for a drink more like Jamaican coffee liqueur Tia Maria.
Something is missing? Exactly, a good recipe for vanilla extract, which we will need a lot here (and in general it is a frequent ingredient in numerous liquors, liquors, tinctures). By the way, the vanilla pods that we threw in the coffee-rum mixture can be reused, a couple of times for sure.
vanilla extract recipe
Alcohol. The best alcoholic base for vanilla extract is neutral alcohol with a strength of 35% by volume – it extracts 10% more extractive substances than pure alcohol. You can dilute vodka or alcohol to this strength, rum, brandy or whiskey are also suitable, which will bring their own flavors (this rum is especially good with its tropical motifs).
Vanilla. Madagascar vanilla, also known as bourbon vanilla, has a classic, powerful, more familiar vanilla flavor. The Tahitian vanilla is more fruity and floral, while the Mexican sweet and spicy vanilla is a better match for our coffee liqueur.
For homemade vanilla extract you will need:
250 ml vodka/alcohol/rum/brandy/whiskey 35%- 8 vanilla pods ~ 25 grams
250 ml vodka/alcohol/rum/brandy/whiskey 35%Vanilla needs to be cut into two parts lengthwise, scrape out the seeds with a knife and throw them into a clean glass jar (preferably dark glass). The pods themselves need to be crushed into small plates of 2 cm each and also added to the jar. Pour the vanilla with an alcohol base, cork tightly and send to infuse in a dark, cool place for 30 days. The first week the extract should be shaken every day, the remaining three – 2-3 times a week.
You can use the extract after 30 days of infusion, but it will fully open after 6 months – after this period it can be filtered and stored for 5 to 10 years (over time, the extract will only get better).
So, it remains to prepare our imitation of Kalua coffee liqueur with other forms of coffee extract, in particular with instant coffee that is more accessible and understandable to “non-coffee lovers” and happy owners of espresso coffee machines. The first version of this article is almost 4 years old (initially there were 3 recipes with dilution and 1 recipe with espresso), but thanks to the active participation of our readers in the life of the project, only two recipes passed the strength test (they even filmed video material by our friends from project “Dobrovar”). Recipes tested and approved by the public!
Imitation Kalua with instant coffee
The recipe was formerly known as the “Optimal Kalua Recipe”. We use the principle of concentration of coffee extract by boiling. It is better to give preference to the so-called sublimated (freeze dried, “frozen”) instant coffee – it is more expensive, but there are much more extract substances in it than in powder or granulated coffee.
As a result, we have: strength ~ 20%, sugar ~ 36%, volume ~ 1,9 l (provided that the syrup is boiled for ~ 170 ml of liquid, you can take measurements and add water or use not all the syrup if the task is to get into the specified strength/sweetness/volume range).
- 10 hours. L. soluble coffee
- 700 g sugar – better than cane
- 700 ml of pure water
- 950 ml rum or vodka
- 6 hours. L. vanilla extract
How to do it:
Combine sugar, coffee and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour. Remove the syrup from the heat, cover the pan with cling film and let the syrup brew for 12 hours. Then add vodka/rum and vanilla extract (or vanilla pods, vanilla sugar) to it. After that, operate with the previous recipe from the 4th point of the cooking instructions.
Imitation Kahlua with espresso
The recipe was previously known as “Espresso Infused Vodka”. Prepares quickly, the result is predictable, but highly dependent on the quality of coffee, coffee grinder, espresso machine and alcohol base. As a result, we have: fortress ~ 25% (if the alcohol base is 50%) or ~ 19-20% (if the alcohol base is 40%), sugar ~ 44% (classic), volume ~ 1 liter.
- 250 ml espresso from coffee machine/coffee maker
- 450 g sugar – better than cane
- 500 ml rum or vodka 40-50%
- 3-4 tsp vanilla extract
How to cook:
Bring the espresso to a boil, turn off the heat and dissolve the sugar in it. Cool the syrup to room temperature, pour into a jar of a suitable volume, add vodka and vanilla extract (or vanilla pods, vanilla sugar). Close the jar tightly and leave it in a dark, cool place for 6 days (it doesn’t matter in what form vanilla was used, but it’s better to take a sample with pods), stir a couple of times a day, especially if vanilla in pods is used. Strain, filter through a cotton or coffee filter and pour into clean bottles. Let the liquor rest for 2-3 weeks and you can start tasting.
Both recipes in practice from Dobrovar:
Well, we have 3 completely different imitations of Kalua coffee liqueur, which, as you can already understand, are not at all difficult to make at home. It remains only to add a couple of ice cubes to a glass with such ambrosia for a leisurely sip or mix a delicious cocktail, for which Kalua is perfect. Here you should definitely pay attention to the Black and White Russian cocktails, as well as the legendary B-52 shot. But the palette of cocktails with coffee liqueurs is much wider, and one day we will definitely tell you how best to approach this variety.
Successful experiments and a correct understanding of the moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages to everyone!