These Are The Coffee Liqueurs Worth Buying for Your Winter Bar Cart

The winter season is upon us, and so are all the festivities it brings with it. From Christmas and New Year’s Eve, to our fav wedding season, the end of the year desperately calls for some extra drinking. And for all those cold-blooded folks like me who start shivering the second the temperature drops below 20 degree, cold, iced, freezing cocktails are hardly a fix. The only thing that might work for us? Caffeinated liqueurs, of course! Not only do they make one feel all energised and ready to make the day theirs, but the warm, nutty aftertaste is also a great accompaniment to any cocktail or celebration. It presents the best of both worlds in a glass: the irresistible taste of coffee, and the comforting warmth of a good spirit—truly a match made in winter heaven. 

Coffee liqueurs aren’t just for tiramisu martinis or boozy affogatos anymore; they’ve quietly slipped into the mainstream as the winter drink of choice for people who want flavour, warmth, and a tiny wake-up call in a glass. Whether you’re the kind who needs a caffeine kick before a sundowner, or someone who depend on espresso martinis for a fun evening, coffee-forward liqueurs are the cold-weather heroes that deserve more attention than they receive. 

They slip seamlessly into everything: creamy dessert cocktails, bold after-dinner drinks, or even a quick mid-party pick-me-up poured straight over ice. Plus, with artisanal brands and craft distilleries in India getting increasingly creative with their coffee blends, now is actually the best time to build a caffeine-coded bar cart, full of every bottle that makes your next cocktail night fun. 

So, for all my fellow caffeine lovers who want winter warmth and a buzz, here are the best coffee-based liqueurs to stock up on this season.

Old Monk Coffee XO Rum

If you always thought that coffee would taste better with a little kick and a spike, this one’s for you.

The Old Monk Coffee XO Rum is a spin on India’s widely loved dark rum, made by Mohan Meakin. However, rather than just slapping coffee flavour onto the OG Old Monk, this version blends aged rum with real coffee extract to create something rich, aromatic, and dessert-worthy. On the nose, you get bold roasted coffee and dark chocolate, layered with notes of vanilla, molasses, and a trace of oak. 

The palate is smooth and velvety—think espresso, cocoa, and toffee, balanced by the warmth of aged rum. It’s perfect for all of you sweet-toothed drinkers out there.  It finishes long, with lingering coffee notes and a sweetness that feels like a hug in drink form. Don’t confuse it as a sugar-water coffee liqueur. It is a proper spirit that works quite well neat, over a single large ice cube, or even as a base for dessert-style cocktails like a rum affogato, a spiced espresso rumtini, or even in a caffeinated and spiked hot chocolate. 

For caffeine lovers looking to bring a cosy yet energised twist to their winter sipping without breaking the bank, this Old Monk variant is a must. Your bar cart will thank you before you thank me. 

Price: INR 1,500

Jägermeister Cold Brew Coffee

Think of your good old Jäger-bomb (that you love), but in its better, more caffeinated, and nutty form.

Jägermeister is already quite a warm, nutty liqueur, for all the times in the winter when we want to enjoy a quieter, slower drink. Its cold brew variant is just that, but better. The spirit is a sophisticated take on the iconic herbal liqueur, blending Jägermeister’s original 56-botanical recipe with slowly steeped Arabica cold-brew coffee and a touch of cacao.

With an ABV of 33%, it is lighter than the classic Jägermeister, but it maintains depth and complexity in the flavour. The aroma opens with deep roasted coffee and herbal spice, while the palate offers a balanced mix of bitter-sweet coffee, dark chocolate, and Jäger’s signature earthy botanicals. The finish lingers with liquorice-like notes, cola, and a herbal richness that makes it a more coffee-like liqueur with Jäger DNA than the other way round.

Crafted with fair-trade beans from South America and a specially engineered cold-brew process, Jägermeister’s production method here is as intentional as its flavour—shake well before serving, and ideally enjoy it as a shot chilled to around –18 °C.

This one is an ideal pick for someone looking for a familiar flavour with a rather softer twist. We all know Jäger lovers are cult-followers of the liqueur. And this variant only elevates its flavours.

Price: INR 3,190

KAMA Kaapi Rum

Blue Ocean Beverages Pvt. Ltd.’s KAMA Kaapi Rum is being hailed as India’s first Monsoon Malabar coffee–infused rum, straight from the fields of Chikmagalur, Karnataka—aka the birthplace of Indian coffee.

The process is quite simple. These AAA-grade Arabica beans are grown 1,040 metres above sea level, in the rich red earth of Karnataka. During the monsoons, the beans are washed by the fresh rains and cooled by the chilly mountain breeze. They are then roasted to a medium-dark profile, and carefully cold-brewed in a cane and molasses-based rum to highlight their earthy and woody notes. Then? Enter KAMA Kaapi Rum, the liqueur that weaves together India’s love for coffee and its affinity for rum.

On the nose, KAMA Kaapi Rum opens with aromatic roasted coffee, underpinned by woody, slightly earthy depth that nods to the coffee’s origin. On the palate, it delivers indulgent chocolate tones, nutty undertones, and a mellow caramel sweetness. The finish lingers, leaving a satisfying and whole aftertaste. Its craftsmanship is the best part: KAMA Kaapi is made in small batches, and each batch is limited to 1,296 hand-numbered bottles.  

So—all filter kaapi lovers, this one might just become your go-to nightcap!

Cost: INR 1,640

Sheridan’s Coffee Layered Liqueur

For those who love a bit of drama and good looks in all of their cocktail glasses, this coffee creation is the one for you.

Sheridan’s Coffee Layered Liqueur is a beautifully-made spirit that’s perfect for caffeine lovers who appreciate elegance in each sip. Hailing from Ireland and crafted by Thomas Sheridan & Sons, it comes in a dual-chamber bottle: one side holds a rich, dark coffee-chocolate liqueur with a hint of whiskey, while the other contains a silky white vanilla-cream liqueur. It is light enough to drink over ice and flavorful enough to make you feel the mix of coffee in the bitterness of alcohol.

When poured, both layers run out simultaneously but mirror-pour in the glass—the dark coffee base sinks, and the creamy vanilla layer floats on top, creating a visually pleasing, two-tone effect just like your picture-perfect iced vanilla lattes. As far as the notes are concerned, on the nose, you’ll get bold espresso and chocolate notes from the dark side, while the cream side offers a rather sweet, soft vanilla and white-chocolate undertone. The palate is smooth and comforting: roasted coffee meets the creamy sweetness of chocolate, followed by a velvety finish in your mouth. 

Now, does that not sound like a drink made in heaven? For avid caffeine and chocolate lovers, I’m sure it does!

Price: INR 3,990

Segredo Aldeia Cafe Rum

This one’s another locally produced gem, and we are here for it!

Inspired by the mythical Goan village of the same name, its story draws from tales of pirate treasure and tropical hideouts along the Mandovi River. Made by Fullarton Distilleries, this rum blends cane sugar and jaggery for a base that’s both rich and authentic. What makes it truly special is the infusion of dark-roasted South Indian coffee beans, roasted right in Goa—giving it a distinct and bitter espresso-like roastiness. The spirit pours like a deep amber and opens with a nose that mixes strong coffee, toffee, vanilla, with undernotes of leather and tobacco. On tasting, you get a sweet but balanced sip, with prominent coffee flavour that melds with dark chocolate, sweet wood, and subtle cocoa.—Yes, it doesn’t get better than this!

It’s deep, it’s rich, it’s mildly pungent, and it’s so, so good. Personally, it’s the best of Indian creativity and rum-making, all in one bottle. It’s ideal for coffee lovers who want something richer than a liqueur, but more flavourful than a straightforward aged rum.

Price: INR 3,050

Quaffine

Another locally produced gem, right from the distilleries of Goa, Quaffine is the most no-nonsense coffee liqueur on the market. If you straight up just want alcohol that tastes somewhat like coffee in the best way possible, Quaffine is your best bet, marketed as India’s first cold-brew coffee. Not to brag, but it has also won Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2023. 

Made with 100% Arabica beans sourced from the misty coffee estates of Karnataka, what makes this rum truly special is the meticulously planned 18-step production process: the beans are steeped for 12–24 hours in room-temperature water, then paired with rice spirit and sugar and allowed to “marry” for over a week. Unlike sweeter, syrup-heavy liqueurs, Quaffine keeps things clean: no added colours, no artificial flavours, and a sugar content that’s lower than many global counterparts. If that doesn’t sound enticing enough, wait till you hear about the notes.

The taste profile includes notes of deep espresso, chocolate, roasted nuts, raisins, dates, and a hint of butterscotch. With an ABV of about 25%, it’s robust enough to form the base for classic and creative cocktails, or just be poured neat, over a block of chilled ice. The best part? There’s even a festive Gingerbread Man Christmas Edition (limited to 1,200 bottles), which layers warm spices like ginger, cinnamon, clove, molasses, and butter with the signature vanilla-y cold-brew base—a perfect pick for Christmas.

Your most sought-after winter drink, now sorted!

Price: INR 2,850

Kahlúa

The world’s most iconic coffee liqueur, Kahlúa, is basically the blueprint for every creamy, caffeinated cocktail you know and love. 

Born in Veracruz, Mexico, it blends arabica coffee, rum, vanilla, and a touch of caramel into a silky, rich liqueur that tastes like a dessert with a pulse. It’s the backbone of espresso martinis, white Russians, mudslides, and every “just one more” coffee drink at 2 a.m. that is both indulgent and energising. What makes it perfect for winter is its natural warmth—the roasted-coffee depth sits beautifully in hot cocktails, boozy coffees, spiked hot chocolates, or even poured straight over ice after dinner. 

For caffeine lovers looking to build a cold-weather bar cart, Kahlúa is non-negotiable: familiar, cosy, and endlessly mixable.

Price: INR 2,490

Read more: Matcha Cocktails Are The Next Big Thing; Here’s Where To Sip Them

Also read: Tongba: A Drink That Represents The Resilience Of The Kirati Communities