Dram Noir

Awkward family dinners. Weird watercooler vibes around the office Slack. Heated neighborhood lawn signage wars.

It seems like we can’t stop ourselves from weighing in on where we stand on a very critical question: When it comes to copping a buzz, are you #TeamCoffee or #TeamBooze?

Now, before you go down a rhetoric rabbit hole, what if you didn’t have to choose? What if we could all live in perfect harmony? What if you could have...both?

Turns out, you can. Coffee is making its way into all kinds of different Spirits. So park the protests and pick up a glass — it’s time to reach across the aisle… and drink.

The best part of waking up may indeed be some steaming hot java in your cup, but it’s so much more than a caffeinated jolt for early risers. After all, true coffee connoisseurs aren’t just looking for a buzz — they’re looking for that deep, rich, mellow taste to take them through the day… and night.

Good news: distillers are waking up and smelling the proverbial coffee. You’ll find this liquid gold making its way to the Spirits party and mingling with all the guests — from sweet Caribbean Rums to warm and earthy Tequilas. They’re even finding a way to turn cold brew into a Spirit category of its own. What a time to be alive.

Luckily, you’ll find a good bit of caffeinated experimentation in this Tasting Box. Starting with Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, an Australian outfit blending rich, decadent 100% specialty Arabica coffee with Australian Wheat Vodka. Not to be outdone, Ron Colón Salvadoreño Coffee Infused Rum is cold-infusing Salvadoran and Jamaican Rum with whole coffee beans from the El Cipres region of El Salvador. And finally, there’s Patron XO Cafe, a dark, delicious sipper bringing together two liquid juggernauts: Tequila and Arabica coffee.

And there you have it. In the battle between booze and java, there are no losers — only winners. Time to celebrate with a buzz that can’t be beat.

Cheers!

Smartass Corner:

1) Liquor versus Liqueur: what’s the difference? It’s actually become quite tough to distinguish the two with the advent of flavored Vodkas. Liqueurs are sweet and syrupy for the most part, whereas liquors are not. Also, Liqueurs usually have a much lower alcohol content — typically between 15-30% ABV.

2) The world runs on coffee. In fact, it’s the second largest traded commodity around the globe — surpassed only by crude oil — and worth over $100 billion worldwide.

3) An Aussie born brand, Mr Black’s production process involves a blend of brewing, winemaking and distilling all rolled into one using equipment from all three different industries.

4) To make Ron Colon’s Coffee Rum, the team took Jags Head Coffee beans from El Salvador and cold-infused their Rum for 48 hours to create a fruity, toasty and rich combo.

5) Can’t decide whether to go with coffee or dessert? Make it both with an Espresso Martini. Combine equal parts Patron XO Cafe, Tequila and espresso in a mixing glass, add ice and then strain into a glass.

6) Coffee has helped Olympic athletes qualify for the games. Brazil couldn’t afford to send its athletes to the 1932 games in Los Angeles so the government sent them on a ship full of coffee which was sold on the way to finance the trip.

7) Many Liqueurs actually got their start as medicine. For example, popular herbal Liqueurs — including Benedictine and Chartreuse — were originally created as remedies for various illnesses, often by monks who specialized in alchemy.