Kahlúa Coffee Cream Liqueur

If you are a fan of Kahlua then you are going to love it in the rich, creamy form which is Kahlua Coffee Cream. This new coffee liqueur is a limited release for the 2009 holiday season and is the fifth bottle in the Kahlua portfolio (excluding the two ready-to-drink cocktails). Because this one is a seasonal release and it's unclear if it will come back or stick around, I highly suggest you get a bottle as soon as you find it because it is a delicious spirit that is very versatile.

Kahlua Coffee Cream is best described as a hybrid of favorite liqueurs. Think of the dark coffee flavor we all love in Kahlua mixed with the consistency of an Irish cream. So, when you combine those two favorites of the bar one would think that the result would be a winner, and it is.

I have found that Kahlua Coffee Cream is one of the most convenient liqueurs in my bar. It has found its way into many cups of my coffee where it acts as a creamer replacement despite my preference for taking mine black - in fact a bottle has sat near my coffee pot since. It is also excellent for a very quick variation of a White Russian or an Aggravation, in which it replaces both the coffee liqueur and cream, and because the caffeine is so low I've found that it makes a scrumptious nightcap when poured over ice.

The list of possible cocktails with this liqueur has to be endless, but the reality is that we may only have a few months to explore it. With its release Kahlua also had New York City mixologist, Julio De Los Santos, create a few drinks for inspiration. One is the Kahlua Cognaccino in which Martell Cognac is paired with the coffee cream and amaretto, which I have also become infatuated with. The other two, curiously, combine this liqueur with the original Kahlua: the Kahlua Mexicano pairs it with sambuca while The Curious Russian goes with vanilla vodka. I can also see some potential with whiskies and, of course, a creamier version of an Espresso Martini.

More Kahlua Coffee Cream Cocktails:

• Irish Winter