BarMedia - AmericanMixologist - Drinks - Living Large with Kahlua

The American Mixologist Online® Newsletter Vol. 14, No. 16 All Rights Reserved
Drinks

Like the Rosetta Stone and the Magna Carta, Kahlúa is among the cornerstones of civilization. It is one of the fundamental building blocks in the lexicon of mixology and is as indispensable to operating a thriving beverage business as ice cubes. In fact, it is the most used product in all of mixology, and as you're about to see, you can build a universe of amazing drinks all with a bottle of Kahlúa close at hand.

Start with pouring Kahlúa on the rocks. It's like drinking an iced coffee with a wee bit more gusto. Next time you're at happy hour, look around and see how many guests are sipping Kahlúa rocks to start their evening out right. Not surprisingly, savvy consumers often save Kahlúa rocks as the last drink of the night.

There is beauty and grace in simplicity, and the most beautiful and graceful of all simple concoctions is KAHLÚA AND MILK. It's as natural of a combination as adding cream to your morning cup of coffee. It's even a pleasure watching as the two ingredients swirl together and slowly transform into one unbeatable taste experience.

It is interesting to note just how many cocktails and mixed libations depend on Kahlúa for their flavor and identity. For example, add some vodka to the above Kahlúa and Milk and you've created the WHITE RUSSIAN. Serve the White Russian in a tall glass and add some cola to make the COLORADO BULLDOG.

There's another marvelous branch of mixology to consider here, thanks to the ingenuity of the people at Stolichnaya. With the advent of the finest flavored vodkas at your beck and call, consider making white Russians using a flavored vodka as a base. For example, RASPBERRY WHITE RUSSIAN—made with Stoli Razberi, Kahlúa and milk—is a marvelous taste treat. The same can be said for a VANILLA WHITE RUSSIAN made with Stoli Vanil.

The BLACK RUSSIAN is currently undergoing something of a renaissance. From Manhattan to Manhattan Beach, the famous combination of Kahlúa and vodka is screaming back into the limelight. While solidly in the core of conventional drinks, it is refreshing to see a new generation of drinkers becoming reacquainted with the unequalled pleasure of the Black Russian.

Taking another branch of mixology, if you replace the vodka in a Black Russian with tequila you've got a BRAVE BULL. Add cream to a Brave Bull to make a WHITE BULL. The combination of brandy and Kahlúa is called a Dirty Mother. Splash in some cream to make a DIRTY WHITE MOTHER.

The popular combination of Kahlúa and milk (cream) is called a SOMBRERO. If you splash in some club soda you've created the SMITH & KERNS. Replace cola for the club soda and it becomes a SMITH & WESSON.

If you're into aviation, you already know that the layered combination of Kahlúa, Irish cream and Grand Marnier is called a B-52. If you replace the Grand Marnier with Frangelico the drink is called the F-16. The fusion of Kahlúa, Irish cream and butterscotch schnapps is called the NEUTRON BOMB. Replace the butterscotch schnapps with peppermint schnapps to make the AFTER FIVE. Possibly the best of the bunch is called the 727, a dreamy combination of Stolichnaya Vodka, Kahlúa, Grand Marnier and Irish cream.

Few products, if any, are featured more prominently in more specialty drinks than Kahlúa. The now famous MUDSLIDE is made with Kahlúa, vodka and Irish cream. The TOASTED ALMOND is a classic specialty made with Kahlúa, amaretto and ice cream. Add in some Godiva chocolate liqueur to make the TIRAMISU, which appropriately tastes exactly like the Italian dessert of the same name.

Those looking for a hot time should sample the famous KEOKI COFFEE, a marvelous blend of Kahlúa, brandy, crème de cacao and coffee. Substitute Grand Marnier for the crème de cacao to make the FRENCH MAID'S CAFÉ. The classic TOASTED ALMOND CAFÉ features Kahlúa, amaretto and coffee. If you replace the coffee with hot chocolate you'll make the universally appealing FRENCH KISS. The ASPEN COFFEE is made with Kahlúa, Irish cream, Frangelico and coffee. Substitute Godiva and chocolate syrup for the Irish cream and you've got the BAY AREA GARTER.

Believe it or not, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Kahlúa makes a savory addition to a Piña Colada. It is the driving force in the ROOT BEER FLOAT, SILVER CLOUD, QUAALUDE, MOOSE MILK and the ORGASM. You also can't make a DUCK FART without Kahlúa.

There's a wide world of drinks and seemingly a large majority are grounded with the authentically rich coffee flavor of Kahlúa. It's a franchise player and a one-man band rolled into one of the most recognizable bottles in the world.

So the next time you hear the cash register at the bar ring out loud and clear, perhaps you may want to whisper a word of thanks to Kahlúa.

KAHLÚA DRINKS ARE SAVORY AND PLENTIFUL
Kahlúa has been made in Mexico for nearly a century and is the best-selling liqueur in the world. It is made from a base of distilled sugar cane that is steeped with vanilla and mountain-grown Mexican coffee. The liqueur has a velvety smooth texture and a bouquet of freshly ground coffee. Kahlúa's well-rounded body delivers the rich flavors of roasted coffee, cocoa and mint. While moderately sweet, it is not cloying or overbearing. The liqueur has a long, flavorful finish.

One of the Kahlúa's strong suits is that it mixes with a seemingly endless combination of products. As testimony to its nearly universal mixability, it is one of the most frequently used ingredients in any drink guide. Obviously this is a "must have" product.