Cocktails with Crème de Café liqueur
Crème de café is a sweet, low-proof coffee liqueur made by steeping roasted coffee in a neutral spirit and sweetening it heavily.
ABV20–25%
Substitutes for Crème de Café liqueur
Coffee liqueurs
Kahlúa, Tia Maria, and others can take its place at the same amount. Strength and sugar vary, so taste as you go.
Cold espresso
Mix it with a barspoon of syrup. You get the coffee but no strength.
Irish cream
This is no swap. Baileys brings dairy, not coffee.
On the label
- “crème de”
- Nothing to do with cream. EU rules require at least 250 g of sugar per liter for anything sold as crème de. That sugar, not dairy, gives the syrupy weight.
Storage
Nothing in it spoils, but the coffee aroma fades once the bottle is open. After a year it tastes sweeter and less of coffee than it did. Keep it closed and dark, and buy the smaller bottle if the bar goes through it slowly.
