If coffee comes to mind when you’re at a cocktail bar, you’re likely thinking of one drink: the Espresso Martini. The caffeinated cocktail became one of the top 10 ordered cocktails in the U.S. in 2022, and the buzz hasn’t stopped. 

In 2023, Espresso Martini orders increased 50% over the prior year, according to Union OnPrem Insights, a data-collecting website/app that draws from 1,000 high-volume bars and restaurants. Players in the booze industry have taken advantage by offering new coffee liqueurs and alternative coffee cocktails.

In 2024, a more nuanced set of coffee-influenced spirits has emerged. These spirits aren’t infused with the beans themselves, nor do they have any added sweeteners. Instead, the spirits age inside coffee barrels. 

Using barrels for coffee essence

Any spirit aged in wood will typically pick up flavors from the wood itself, as well as whatever liquid that the barrel held previously. Used bourbon and sherry barrels are common for aging spirits, but choosing barrels that once held coffee or cold brew is a newer trend. 

“I believe the subtlety and balance that can be struck by using a coffee barrel allows for greater harmony in a [whiskey] blend,” says Amanda Beckwith, the lead blender at Virginia Distillery Co. 

To make her Scholar’s Craft Coffee Cask American Single Malt, Beckwith takes single malt whisky (Scholar spells its whisky without an “e”) aged six years in bourbon barrels and moves it into fresh coffee casks. Aging whisky in coffee barrels requires extra attention from Beckwith and her team. 

“Unlike many of our more subtle finishes like Calvados or cider, these coffee casks can turn aggressive in a short amount of time,” says Beckwith. “I have to monitor the whisky to make sure that the coffee finish complements the whisky without overwhelming it.”

Though the barrels can be temperamental, the benefits outweigh the difficulties even across different categories of spirits. 

Quintaliza Tequila is a reposado tequila aged in multiple types of barrels, including ones that formerly held coffee. “Making a true organic, additive-free reposado was the most important thing. It’s not flavored tequila,” says Mike Winters, the founder of Quintaliza.

Quintaliza spends two months in a used oak barrel, like a typical reposado. However, it then ages three months in coffee-washed barrels. The final reposado picks up flavors from both wood and coffee.

For the first time in its 225-year history, Santa Teresa 1796, Venezuela’s leading rum producer, is using barrels that once held cold brew to age rum. Batches of Venezuelan Solera rum are loaded into the cold brew casks for three months. This brief maturation leaves the Santa Teresa Arabica Coffee Cask Finish with distinctive cocoa nib aromas and a delicate espresso note on the finish. 

A flavor that’s complex, but subtle

Amanda Davidson, bar manager at Colab Kitchen in Stuart, Florida, prefers to work with coffee barrel-aged spirits because of their refined flavors and many nuances, rather than the one-note profiles of coffee liqueurs. 

“[Quintaliza Tequila] has a lot of caramel, vanilla, and chocolate notes on its own. So you can sip it neat and enjoy it, and savor everything that is going on,” says Davidson. “But it’s going to be a good cocktail as well.”

Many spirit makers claim that the complexity and gradation of flavors are only possible through barrel aging. Infusing spirits with coffee can impart flavors that are too intense. 

“Coffee’s a very, very strong element,” says Winters. “Add one drop of coffee to a glass of water, and the whole thing becomes coffee.” By blending barrels, Winters’ team at Quintaliza can manage that intensity and ensure the taste of agave comes through. 

To appreciate the layered flavors in these spirits, first try them neat, or with just a few drops of water. Pay attention, and you will notice notes from the base spirit (agave, malt, or molasses), the wood (vanilla, coconut, caramel) and the coffee (chocolate, red fruit, nuts). 

Spirits with coffee essence are more versatile behind the bar

Though each of these specially aged spirits has a distinct coffee expression in their flavor profile, they are surprisingly versatile. 

“Of course, the coffee-aged tequila makes a great Espresso Martini,” says Davidson, “but I can also use it in cocktails that express seasonal flavors.” 

Davidson’s summer creation took inspiration from the garden. She used a base of Quintaliza reposado and added muddled cucumber and basil, then accented it with a chamomile syrup. The fresh garden flavors balanced nicely alongside the deep chocolate and caramel notes of the coffee-barrel-aged reposado. 

“That’s definitely a cocktail you can’t make with a coffee liqueur,” says Davidson. 

For fall, she’s experimenting with a barrel-aged tequila and a combination of persimmons and warm spices like cardamom. Davidson says this will highlight the warm oak flavors in the tequila.

Despite their versatility, it’s also okay to lean into the coffee flavors in these spirits.

“I’m a big fan of breakfast for dinner, and [Virginia Distilling Co. Scholar’s Craft Coffee Cask Whisky] pairs beautifully with Belgian waffles and bacon,” says Davidson.

Must-try coffee barrel-aged spirits

Quintaliza Reposado Organic Tequila

An agave-forward reposado tequila with notes of dark chocolate, vanilla, and coffee roast. Quintaliza is the only organic tequila using coffee barrels in the production process.

Santa Teresa 1796 Arabica Coffee Cask Finish

The bottle’s wax seal signals that it holds something special. Aged Venezuelan Solera rum is further matured in barrels that once held cold brew made from Arabica coffee beans that grow in the Hacienda Santa Teresa. This is made with hyperlocal ingredients and century-old techniques. 

Virginia Distilling Co. Scholar’s Craft Coffee Cask American Single Malt Whisky

Virginia Distilling Co. is known for producing American single malt whiskies. With coffee-barrel aging, Scholar’s Craft has aromas of creamy vanilla and toffee with a freshly roasted coffee flavor. The finish is long and smooth, with accents of earthy cinnamon. There’s another reason to love this single malt. Virginia Distilling Co. established a scholarship with the proceeds from this whisky to support women in distilling at Appalachian State University. 

Ironclad Vessel Craft Coffee Cask

This barrel-proof whiskey is finished in coffee barrels from Vessel Craft Coffee in Norfolk, Virginia. The whiskey is bottled at cask strength (where ABV can be 60% or higher), so the coffee notes help tame the alcohol heat and smooth out the finish with cocoa and caramel notes.