A cup of joe in the morning, and a glass of the opposite at night. Coffee and alcohol are literal staples in the diets of millions of people worldwide. So who decided they should go together for an alcoholic beverage? In this article, we’ll answer this question, and take a look at Kahlúa, the most popular coffee liqueur available.
Kahlúa is gluten-free. Containing rum, sugar, and 100% Arabica coffee, which are all gluten-free ingredients, Kahlúa is not made with any products which contain gluten, commonly found in wheat, barley, or rye. Although not specifically labeled gluten-free, it does not list wheat as an allergen in its products. The best gluten-free alternative is Tia Maria Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur.
While Kahlúa is considered gluten free, there are alternatives to the brand, owned by the Pernod Ricard company in Veracruz, Mexico, which may be more suited to your lifestyle and dietary restrictions. Before we offer these alternatives, we’ll look into the history of coffee liqueurs, how Kahlúa is made and even offer a homemade version of a coffee liqueur you can make at home. Let’s get started!
Contents
The history of coffee liqueurs
Coffee liqueurs are made with coffee and alcohol. There are brands from all over the world, and each country has their own spin on them. Ireland makes theirs with whiskey, Mexico makes some with tequila, and Taiwan makes one with grilled vanilla beans and whisky. The alcohol content can range from 15-30%. They can be served hot or cold, over ice with a cola, and added to coffee. The coffee liqueur is the base for both the White and Black Russian mixed drinks.
The history books say it happened like this. In the 1860s, a café owner in Italy blended together coffee and alcohol, in order to increase the energy levels of those laborers who were working on the Pescara-Ancona railway line. Seeing its effects on workers, and the pleasant taste it had, it was then bottled and produced to other venues in Italy.
How Kahlúa is made
This is a fascinating process. According to the Kahlúa website, it can take 7 years to produce a bottle of Kahlúa. The beans are grown inside cherry plants. Once the beans are ready to be harvested, the cherries are ripped open to access the coffee beans. The beans are then given time to “rest,” inside burlap bags for about 6 months. The distilling process happens next, with the rum being made from sugarcane. The beans are ready to be used, literally after 7 years, and the beans and rum are added together. Four weeks later, a bottle of Kahlúa is born.
Kahlúa Varieties Nutritional Information
Original Kahlúa
This original coffee liqueur is made from simple ingredients and provides the base for many mixed drinks. Flavors of black coffee, sweet butter, and roasted chestnut are primary essences.
Ingredients (specific ingredients not published):
- 100% Arabica coffee beans
- Rum
- Sugar
Nutrition Facts (per 2.5 oz serving):
- 200 – Calories
- 7 grams – Alcohol
- 0 grams – Fat
- 7 grams – Carbohydrates
- 0 grams – Proteins
Kahlúa Mint Mocha
Mix it with your hot chocolate or make a White Russian. This mint mocha variety from Kahlúa has just a hint of mint, added to it’s mocha base.
Ingredients (specific ingredients not published):
- 100% Arabica coffee beans
- Rum
- Sugar
Nutrition Facts (per 2.5 oz serving):
- 225 – Calories
- 7 grams – Alcohol
- 0 grams – Fat
- 6 grams – Carbohydrates
- 0 grams – Proteins
Kahlúa Blonde Roast Style
This variety of the coffee liqueur has caramel, toffee, and notes of citrus to make it a perfect addition to a tonic or coconut water to create a coffee cocktail.
Ingredients (specific ingredients not published):
- 100% Arabica coffee beans
- Rum
- Sugar
Nutrition Facts (per 2.5 oz serving):
- 171 – Calories
- 7 grams – Alcohol
- 0 grams – Fat
- 3 grams – Carbohydrates
- 0 grams – Proteins
Kahlúa Especial
One of the more stronger varieties, the Especial has 35% alcohol by volume. It is an intense dark espresso flavor and is delicious served by itself, or as a martini.
Ingredients (specific ingredients not published):
- 100% Arabica coffee beans
- Rum
- Sugar
Nutrition Facts (per 2.5 oz serving):
- 143 – Calories
- 1 gram – Alcohol
- 0 grams – Fat
- 4 grams – Carbohydrates
- 0 grams – Proteins
Alternatives to Kahlúa
Tia Maria Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
Tia Maria uses 100% Arabica coffee, Madagascar vanilla, and Jamaican white rum in its cold-brew coffee liqueur. Vegan and gluten-free, it could be your next coffee and alcohol match made in heaven.
Ingredients (specific ingredients not published):
- 100% Arabica coffee beans
- Madagascar vanilla
- Jamaican white rum
Nutrition Facts (per 50 mL serving):
- 118 – Calories
- 0 grams – Fat
- 16.4 grams – Carbohydrates
- 0 grams – Proteins
Sheridan’s Coffee Liqueur
Not only is the bottle Sheridan’s Coffee Liqueur is presented in absolutely beautiful, but it’s also the frontrunner of the Irish creams, produced in Dublin by Thomas Sheridan & Sons. And, it’s gluten-free.
Ingredients:
- Structure of white liqueur:
- cream
- spirit
- sugar
- milk protein
- vanilla extract
- vanilla flavouring
- emulsifier E 471
- acidity regulator E 331
- Structure of dark liqueur:
- sugar
- spirit
- maltodextrin
- coffee extract
- coffee flavouring
- cocoa flavouring
- Irish whiskey
- colouring E 150b
Nutrition Facts (per 100 mL serving):
- 311 – Calories
- 7 grams – Fat
- 39 grams – Carbohydrates
- 1.3 grams – Proteins
Kamora Imported Coffee Liqueur
Kamora is the 2nd best selling coffee liqueur, competing directly in Mexico, and across the globe, with Kahlúa. It is less sweeter than Kahlúa, is cheaper, and contains 26.5% alcohol by volume, so it is stronger than Kahlúa.
The ingredients are not listed.
Nutrition Facts (per 1 oz serving):
- 103 – Calories
- 0 grams – Fat
- 11 grams – Carbohydrates
- Includes 10.9 grams added Sugars
- 5 grams – Alcohol
Kavalan Sweet Coffee Liqueur
Char-roasted espresso, grilled vanilla beans, add in some baking chocolate and you have a smooth coffee liqueur with caramel notes.
Neither the ingredients nor the nutritional facts are available, but celiac.com lists this as one of their gluten-free alternatives to Kahlúa.
Mr. Black’s Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
Gluten-free, kosher, and using ethically-sourced coffee beans, the Mr. Black brand of coffee liqueur is from Australia. Using a pure vodka base, with 10x the coffee, but half the sugar, there is nothing artificial used to make this liqueur.
Ingredients:
- Specialty Coffee
- Water
- Vodka
- Sugar
Nutrition Facts (per 1 oz serving):
- 86 – Calories
- .5 grams – Protein
- >.1g Fat
- 9 grams Carbohydrates
- 25.1 grams – Sugars
- > 5 mg – Sodium
St. George NOLA Coffee Liqueur
Using Ethiopian coffee beans, French chicory root, Madagascar vanilla, and organic cane sugar, the NOLA Coffee Liqueur includes bright fruit notes in its beverage. It’s 25% alcohol by volume and gluten-free.
Neither the ingredients nor the nutritional facts are available.
Jagermeister Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
Both gluten-free and vegan, the Jagermeister brand of cold brew coffee liqueur does not disclose its ingredients. They do say the ingredients are mostly natural though, and include spices, herbs, and types of roots.
Neither the ingredients nor the nutritional facts are available.
Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy
Allen’s Coffee Brandy first got its claim to fame when the fishermen of Maine began to put their brandy into their morning coffee. It is now the best selling spirit in Maine. It’s funny how it still gives you a great flavor of “coffee” but it’s neither a liqueur or a brandy! It is a 60 proof beverage, 30% alcohol by volume.
The ingredients are not listed.
Nutrition Facts (per 1 oz serving):
- 103 – Calories
- 0 grams – Fat
- 11 grams Carbohydrates
- 10.9 grams – Sugar
- 0 mg – Sodium
- 0 grams – Protein
Make Your Own Coffee Liqueur
Carla’s Gluten-Free Recipe Box website offers a ton of recipes for the gluten-free diet. Her coffee liqueur, she calls Likuah, is great!
Ingredients:
- 1 3/4 c water
- 1 3/4 c granulated sugar
- 5 T gluten-free instant coffee
- 1 c gluten-free vodka, or use rum to make it more like Kahlúa
- 1 T pure vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Create a simple syrup by bringing the water and sugar to a boil.
- Turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the coffee crystals until they are fully dissolved.
- Put it in the refrigerator until it is at least room temperature.
- Add in the vodka or rum and the vanilla extract.
(You can store this in the fridge for up to two months, but if you are going to use it in baking or in a dessert, use it right away.)
In Conclusion
Kahlúa is a naturally gluten-free alcoholic beverage. Since it does not contain any wheat, rye, barley, or wheat-derived ingredients, it is an acceptable beverage for a gluten-free diet. As with any alcoholic beverage, please drink responsibly, and in moderation.
Related Questions
Is Kahlúa vegan?
Kahlúa is not a vegan product. While it only contains rum, coffee, and sugar, it is the sugar which makes it not a vegan-friendly food. When cane sugar, the ingredient in Kahlúa, is processed, it is often mixed with bone char, which gives it its white coloring. Bone char is an animal-sourced product, making Kahlúa an unacceptable beverage for vegans to consume.
Is Kahlúa dairy free?
Kahlúa does not contain any dairy products. There is no milk, nor any milk-derived ingredients in any of their flavor varieties of coffee liqueur.
Is Kahlúa caffeinated?
Each variety of Kahlúa contains 100 ppm of caffeine, about 5 milligrams of caffeine in a 1.5 ounce serving of the coffee liqueur.