Say hello to Café Tequila liqueur, the latest addition to The Only Way Is Spirits line-up.
Dark brown in colour, it is a moreish blend of agave and coffee, bursting with aromas including chocolate and coffee, as well as brown sugar and caramel.
Rich, exotic and delicious, this decadent spirit really does have something for everyone. Sip it as you slide into a Saturday evening or use it to kick a cocktail party into another gear.
Looking for a pretty present or anniversary surprise? Our beautifully packaged Café Tequila is the perfect gift.
All About Agave
We have the humble agave cactus to thank for the drink we have come to know and love as tequila.
In fact, it’s one of several distilled spirits that come from the agave plant which looks a bit like a pineapple.
Inspiration for our Café Tequila label design is taken from looking down on the blue agave plant.
The core of the agave, known as the pina, is roasted or steamed to release the sugars inside. It is then fermented to create tequila and mezcals - but what’s the difference between the two?
It’s all down to where the spirits are made. Pure tequila is only produced in a handful of places in Mexico, and has to be made from Agave Tequiliana Weber, commonly known as Blue Agave.
It is a highly regulated and controlled category - hence the price of tequila.
Mezcal can be made from other varieties of agave and can be distilled anywhere else. Varieties include Raicilla, Bacanora and Sotol.
Think of it this way: in the same way as all bourbons are whiskies, but not all whiskies are bourbons, all tequilas are mezcals but not all mezcals are tequila.
What does the name tequila mean?
Experts think the name originates from the Aztec language. Their theory suggests it translates as “the place where plants are harvested” or “the place where a lot of work is done”.
A few tequila terms
Older tequila drinks are called “añejo” because they have spent more time ageing in casks.
You can expect a deeper flavour from these, with tannic flavours such as black tea and chocolate combining with the agave to create a sophisticated taste.
A bottle of tequila labelled “reposado” is one that has been matured in a cask for between two and 11 months - it has literally been “rested”.
Tequila purists often go in search of “plata” or silver tequila, a smooth, unaged spirit that bursts with agave notes. It’s the most popular form of tequila among aficionados.
Some tequilas can be artificially sweetened at the fermentation stage with sugar or corn syrup. If you’re not a fan of this sort of flavour, look for bottles that are labelled “100% agave tequila”.
Busting some tequila myths
If there is one thing customers know about tequila it’s that it comes with a worm in the bottle. That is definitely not the case with our Café Tequila or any of the other fine varieties but, as so often happens, there is a grain of truth to the myth.
The worm - roughly translated as gusano - was originally associated with mezcals. In the 1940s, a few brands leaped on the idea that the worm had aphrodisiac and magical qualities, and would pass them onto the drinker. Lo and behold, the now-globally known myth was born.
Another myth is that tequila is always slugged back, followed by lime and salt, a-la the tequila slammer. Again, this is something connected to the lower end of the tequila market, rather than the pure, finer end, where you will find our Café Tequila.
In Mexico, tequila is seen as a sipping, rather than a shooter drink, best enjoyed alongside a tomato and citrus-based sangrita.
The lime and salt version emerged in the 19th century by drinkers trying to mask the taste of lower-cost, rougher tequilas.
A sophisticated, refined spirit
Tequila, as you may have gathered by now, is a far more rich and sophisticated spirit than its rough-and-ready image would suggest.
There is a wide variety of types to suit every palate, offering a range of flavours from vanilla sweetness to spice, notes of chocolate and a dry finish. The price of tequila starts at around £30 and can rise into the hundreds.
Tequila is also a main ingredient in one of the world’s most beloved liqueurs: Patron XO Cafe Tequila.
We’re delighted to present Café Tequila: our version of this classic tequila-fine coffee concoction.
As lovers of Patron XO Cafe Tequila know, it blends the unique flavours of rich, dark freshly-roasted arabica coffee with vanilla and light tequila.
Unlike many coffee liqueurs, there was less of a focus on the sweetness, giving it a flexibility that was unrivalled. You could sip it or pour it over a dessert.
Production of Café Patron ended in 2023, and we thought it was too good an opportunity to pass up. How right we were!
We took that creativity and ran with it to come up with Café Tequila liqueur, which many Patron lovers say is even better than the original.
A recipe for success
Our Café Tequila liqueur is crammed with aromas of fine coffee, and notes of chocolate, brown sugar and caramel.
At 27.5% ABV, it has a decadent, smooth finish, yet is rich, sweet and aromatic. Of course it has our signature gorgeous packaging, making it an ideal gift for a special someone in your life.
Served over ice or sipped on its own, Café Tequila liqueur is perfect for any occasion. Why not make it the beating heart of your next Espresso Martini?
Rumour has it that, back in the 1980s, a celebrated model asked Dick Bradsell, a barman at London’s Fred’s Club to make her a drink that would “wake her up” among other things... In response, he created this now-famous cocktail.
It is similar to a Manhattan to an Old Fashioned, in so far as a base spirit is balanced with a mix of sweet and bitter ingredients.
In an Espresso Martini, fine coffee provides the bold, bitter flavour, while a dash of liqueur brings the sweet. Our Café Tequila liqueur has both.
An Espresso Martini with our Café Tequila liqueur
Ingredients
30ml vodka
30ml Café Tequila
30ml espresso
Sugar syrup to sweeten (optional)
Method
Add vodka and Café Tequila liqueur to a shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled.
Pour into a chilled cocktail glass.
Drop in coffee beans.
Enjoy!
Shipping and returns
We send our Café Tequila liqueur across the UK, with FREE shipping on all shop orders over £45.
Our shipping prices are listed here. For international orders, please visit Master of Malt.
You can also find all information about claims for breakages, cancelling orders and our returns policy here.
Contact us
If you have any general questions about our Café Tequila liqueur, the range of other products we create, or if you have any flavour feedback to offer, we’d love to hear from you!
Please complete this form and we will get back to you straight away. For any trade enquiries, email us at info@theonlywayisspirits.co.uk.