A French Distillery Just Dropped the First Totally Clear Coffee Liqueur

When you think of spirits made in France, Cognac is probably the first thing that comes to mind. Maybe you also think of Armagnac and Calvados, but probably not. There are other spirits produced at distilleries in the country, including whisky and some very good gin. And now a Bordeaux distillery has launched what it is calling the very first clear coffee liqueur, and we have the details to share.

The distillery, Bordeaux Distilling Co., was founded in 2018 and currently makes gin, rum, whisky, and liqueurs. The spirit in question is called Brunette Clear Coffee Liqueur, and not only is it transparent, but it’s also 100 percent organic. But if you’re thinking of something like a cristalino tequila that has been filtered to remove color, this is something very different, and here’s how it’s made. The distillery is focused on utilizing sustainable practices, so the team decided to use waste products left over from coffee production to make the liqueur—specifically, coffee blossom and cascara, the husks of coffee cherries. These ingredients are each separately macerated in a neutral grain base spirit made from wheat for a total of two weeks, and then those spirits are distilled at low temperature. These are blended with another spirit made from the waste product left over from the distillery’s Brunette Coffee Liqueur, the original opaque version, which is distilled into a third clear spirit. The final blend rests for six months before it’s bottled at 22 percent ABV, and no color or additives are used.

“Passionate about innovation and sustainability, we’re incredibly proud that Brunette Clear not only raises awareness about a key issue such as waste, but also increases the functionality of coffee liqueurs,” said Bordeaux Distilling Co.’s Arnaud Chevalier in a statement. “It’s already being used by one of the world’s leading bars—Little Red Door in Paris—so we’re incredibly excited to get it in the hands of the U.K.’s talented mixologists.” And that’s what it’s geared for, apparently—making cocktails, like a colorless version of an espresso martini—although it can also be sipped neat or over ice.

Brunette Clear is currently available in France and the U.K., so we did not get to sample the spirit. But the official tasting notes a “pure essence of coffee,” with floral and fruity notes, and no bitterness or excessive sweetness. We’ll let you know when and if this becomes available here, but in the meantime there are some other excellent coffee liqueurs and infused spirits available to try, like Mr. Black and the very popular Patron XO Cafe.