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Tia Maria is a premium Jamaican coffee liqueur. The drink is considered to be lighter in style than many analogues on the market, such as Kahlua. Experts praise the liquor for its delicate bouquet with hints of chocolate and vanilla, not too thick structure and lack of coffee bitterness. The brand is in demand in 60 countries of the world, including Russia.
Historical information
The idea to create the original Jamaican liqueur came from businessman and writer Morris Cargill in 1946. According to his idea, the basis was to serve as a recipe for homemade liquor, which was made by his aunt. However, the relative refused to reveal her secrets to Cargill, which prompted the entrepreneur to seek help from Dr. Ken Evans. The medic was fond of making homemade liqueurs based on Jamaican rum and fragrant herbs, so he enthusiastically set about developing the recipe.
In 1950, the companions released the first batch of liqueur, which was made from rum, Jamaica Blue Mountain premium coffee extract and vanilla. Cargill signed a contract to promote the new product with London-based advertising firm JP MacNulty. It was up to small – to come up with a name and brand history that would arouse the interest of buyers. The idea to name the liquor Tia Maria (Spanish for “Aunt Maria”) came to the director of the agency when Cargill told him about his attempts to get the recipe from his aunt.
Presumably, at the same time, the official version of the origin of the liquor appeared. According to legend, the prototype of Aunt Mary was the maid who accompanied the young Spaniard during the flight from Jamaica during the invasion of the island by the English army in 1655. The women took with them a box containing jewelry and a recipe for homemade liquor, which the family had been preparing for many years. The fugitives managed to get safely to a safe place, and allegedly in honor of the devoted servant Mary, the liquor got its name.
The veracity of the story is in doubt, but the legend did its job – the advertising agency managed to draw attention to the brand and gradually it gained fame. The cocktail boom, which began in the 1980s and only gained momentum in the following decades, contributed to the growth of consumer interest in liqueurs. At that time, Tia Maria was produced by the Jamaican company Lascelles deMercado. The island produced a concentrate with an alcohol content of 31,5%, which was then diluted. The brand was in demand, but sales were low.
The rebirth of liquor and production secrets
Liquor Tia Maria gained fame after a large-scale advertising campaign that started in 1983. The television commercials focused on the exotic origin of the liquor and the romantic history of the XNUMXth century. With the help of bright and modern images, marketers managed to win over a young audience, among whom cocktails were especially popular. At the same time, the versatility of the product was demonstrated – on the screen, ice was added to the liquor and mixed with other drinks.
The strategy paid off – the Tia Maria brand became popular first in the UK and then in other countries of the world. The French concern Pernod Ricard bought Tia Maria in 2005 and produced liquor at its factories for four years. Then the Illva Saronno company became the owner of the brand, which brought the quality of the drink to a new level.
The manufacturer does not disclose all the technology, but tells about some secrets. Representatives of the company annually travel around certified plantations in search of the best Arabica, which they buy green and roast in roasters. The beans are then extracted by a special cold extraction method.
Madagascar vanilla is macerated for at least three months to achieve the desired concentration of the extract. Jamaican White Overproof rum from sugar cane grown on coastal plantations is responsible for the rich structure of the drink and fruity notes in taste. After mixing all the components, the liquor undergoes double filtration and quality control.
Types of Tia Maria liqueur
The strength of the classic liqueur Tia Maria ranges from 20 to 26%, depending on the country of sale. The drink has a deep coffee aroma with hints of spices and chocolate. When tasting, coffee notes come to the fore, to which chocolate and tobacco tones are then added. Finished with sugarcane caramel and vanilla.
Tia Maria Matcha is a creamy liqueur based on Japanese Matcha tea, which is grown on plantations protected from sunlight. Due to the lack of light, the plant accumulates chlorophyll and amino acids in the leaves, which gives the final product a natural sweetness and refreshing floral shades. The fortress of tea liquor is 17%.
How to drink Tia Maria liqueur
Tia Maria liqueur is universal. The drink can be served as a digestif in its pure form and added to cocktails. The easiest and fastest mix to prepare is Tia Tonic. For one serving, 50 ml of liqueur is mixed with 80 ml of tonic, and then ice and a slice of grapefruit and lemon are added to the drink.
The Tia Cold Fashioned cocktail is made with 20 ml coffee liqueur, 40 ml bourbon and 20 ml cold brew coffee. Fill a glass with ice and add all ingredients. For a more intense flavor, the inner surface can be rubbed with orange peel oil.
