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%
Taste profile
Dark-roast coffee upfront, with burnt-sugar sweetness and a faintly bitter finish; thicker and sweeter than Kahlúa-style coffee liqueurs.
How it's used
Used in small measures as a flavour accent rather than a base spirit, adding coffee depth and body to shaken drinks with cream, chocolate or dark spirits.
Substitutes for Crème de Café liqueur
Kahlúa or Tia Maria work directly, though both are less sweet and slightly thinner; cut back added sugar if substituting a dry coffee liqueur.
Often confused with
Kahlúa / Tia Maria
Standard coffee liqueurs are less sweet and lower-viscosity than a true crème de café.
