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Can You Drink Kahlua Liquer Straight?

by Libation Staff | Last Updated: October 17, 2021

Most of you may think that the famous Kahlua liqueur is only added in fancy cocktails and not consumed straight. Well, you would be wrong, as you can most definitely drink Kahlua straight. It has a fantastic coffee flavor that is favored among coffee lovers and can be enjoyed in a wide variety of ways. Here we’ll talk about this fantastic drink and share a few ideas of how you can drink it or combine Kahlua.

kahlua drinks

What is Kahlua?

Kahlua is an alcoholic beverage made from rum, sugar, vanilla beans, and Arabica coffee. It has a distinctly sweet flavor due to the high sugar content, which is why it combines so well in many cocktails. 

The essential ingredients in making Kahlua are Arabica coffee, sugar, and rum, and it derives from Mexico. Made by Pedro Domecq in 1936 in Veracruz, Mexico, Kahlua has become a staple in many cocktails.

Even though Kahlua is made with coffee, it is not in inappropriate content. The caffeine content is about 10 mg per 100 ml of liqueur or about 5 mg in a standard serving of about 1.5 oz. For comparison, a usual 8 oz cup of coffee has about 200 mg of caffeine.

The unique Kahlua taste blends very well with many drinks and even desserts, and it is usually included in everything from shakes to martinis to ice creams, cakes, and cheesecakes. Kahlua blends well with milk, cream, coffee, cocoa, and cocktails containing these ingredients.

Famous Kahlua Cocktails

As we said above, you can most definitely drink Kahlua straight or over ice; you can also blend this liqueur in many delicious combos with impressive results. Here is a list of some of the most fantastic Kahlua-based cocktail recipes:

Add ice cubes in a glass, pour 2 oz of vodka, 1 oz of Kahlua, and 1 oz of heavy cream and mix well.

Fill a glass with ice cubes to the top, pour 2 oz of Kahlua and 2 oz of vodka and mix well.

Fill a glass with ice, add 1.5 oz Kahlua, 1 oz vodka, and 1 oz orange juice, and mix well.

Place 1.3 oz vodka, 0.6 oz Kahlua, and 0.6 oz espresso over ice and coffee beans in a shaker, shake well and pour in a chilled martini glass and garnish with coffee beans.

Fill a glass with ice cubes, and pour 1 oz Kahlua, 1 oz vodka, and 1 oz club soda (or more, but in equal measures).

Line the rim of a glass with sugar and pour 3 oz hot coffee, 1.5 oz Kahlua, 0.5 oz triple sec, and 0.7 oz of rum, top up with whipped cream and nutmeg.

A staple in Canadian celebrations, you need 0.7 oz Canadian whiskey, one teaspoon Kahlua, 2.5 oz dairy (combination of whole, half and half, condensed milk, or vanilla ice cream), 1/8 teaspoon sugar, one egg yolk, and 0.7 oz rum to make Moose Milk.

Pour 1 oz vodka, 1 oz Kahlua, 2 oz of cream or milk, and 2 oz of cola in a glass over ice.

A layered cocktail, the Baby Guinness is made in a shot glass by adding a shot of Kahlua and half a shot of Irish cream liqueur.

Another layered cocktail, the B-52, is a layered shot made with a 0.3 oz Kahlua, 0.3 oz Irish cream liqueur, and 0.3 shot of Grand Mariner. The three layers separate due to their specific densities.

Kahlua Alternatives?

Kahlua is definitely among the most famous coffee-flavored liqueur globally, but it is not the only one. Two other very famous coffee-flavored alternatives to Kahlua are Tia Maria, Patron XO Café, Café Rica, Kavalan Distillery, Kamora, Licor de café, Flor de Cana Spresso, Midnight Espresso coffee liqueur, and more. Here we need to note that all of these vary in their alcohol content, and Kahlua has the lowest alcohol content at 20% alcohol by volume.

How to Make Coffee Liqueur at Home?

If you like to experiment and make your own concoctions, you can also make a coffee-flavored liqueur at home. There is no particular philosophy, just a little patience, and good essential ingredients.

To make homemade coffee-flavored liqueur, you will need the following ingredients. Please note that the ratios vary per the amount you plan to make.

Put the sugar, water, and vanilla beans into a saucepan, and cook over medium heat until it becomes a smooth syrup. When the syrup boils, you need to add the rest of the sugar and mix well to avoid burning the syrup. Lower the heat, and once the syrup starts to thicken, you need to add the coffee granules, mix the blend and leave it to cool down naturally.

When the syrup gets cold, you need to pour it into a clean glass jar and add the vodka and rum. Close the jar and shake it well to dissolve the syrup. Put the jar in a cool, dark place and leave it for about ten days. Shake the jar every two days to ensure as much of the coffee and sugar is dissolved.

After ten days, you need to strain the liquid over a fine mesh strainer to sieve the remaining granules, leaving you with a perfect homemade coffee-flavored liqueur. It will probably not taste identically as the store-bought version, but it will still be a perfect option for drinking it straight or mixing it in your favorite cocktail combination.

You can use your homemade coffee-flavored liqueur or the Kahlua liqueur with these drinks to spike them and infuse them with the impressive flavor of coffee:

To Wrap Things Up…

We need to note that even though you can definitely drink Kahlua straight, it will not get you drunk as fast as other alcoholic beverages due to its lower alcohol content. However, we cannot forgo its full and wonderful coffee flavor, which only improves as you slowly sip this fantastic liqueur.