Brunette Organic Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur is one of the most interesting new bottles to arrive in the UK this year. It is made by Bordeaux Distilling Co. and has already found its way onto the menus of places like Hakkasan, Sushi Samba, and 45 Park Lane. When the team behind Brunette sent me a bottle to explore at home and create some cocktails, I was curious to see whether it lived up to the early buzz. The bottle was gifted, but that has no influence on my review.
Christmas is usually when coffee liqueurs have their moment, and Brunette seems built for the season. It is organic, sustainable and made with the sort of craft approach more often associated with high-end coffee shops than liqueur producers. If you are buying for someone who treats coffee as a daily ritual rather than a necessity, this is the sort of present that will actually feel thoughtful.
What Makes Brunette Different
Brunette is pitched as the world’s first certified organic coffee liqueur. That alone is unusual, but what really sets it apart is the way it mirrors the craft coffee world. Bordeaux Distilling Co. works with a local roaster who sources seasonal beans from respected farms and cooperatives. The beans are selected for provenance, altitude, and quality, just as they would be for speciality coffee.
Quick whisky question
Single malt is everywhere, but what does it mean? We want to know what the word “single” means to you. Three quick questions, under a minute.
The final blend includes honey-washed red catuai and icatu beans from Honduras, as well as natural heirloom Gidaamii and washed heirloom Gera beans from Ethiopia. They undergo a New England Medium Roast that brings out aromas of cacao and almond. The blend is then steeped in natural spring water for a 48-hour cold brew extraction, using a generous 150 grams of coffee per litre.
After that, the spirit is married with French winter wheat neutral alcohol and left to rest for six weeks before a light touch of unrefined sugar cane and golden rapadura sugar is added.
None of this comes across as marketing flourish. You can taste the difference in the glass. Brunette is noticeably less sugary than mainstream coffee liqueurs, which gives it a more defined and aromatic coffee character.
What Will Whisky Look Like in 2027? Voices from Whisky Live Paris
READ THE STORYAt around £29.95 for a 70cl bottle from Amazon, Master of Malt, or The Whisky Exchange, it feels like good value for what you get.
Setting Up the Home Test
To try Brunette properly, I picked out a handful of cocktails created by Giorgia Di Stefano and Saira Khan from Demon, Wise & Partners in London. They are a wife and wife bartending team with an excellent reputation for inventive but grounded drinks. Most of the ingredients were easy to pick up in Tesco. For the spirits, I ordered Virtuous Vodka Rye from The Whisky Exchange for £35.50, and Goslings Black Seal Rum from the same site for £29.75.
I did not make every cocktail on the list, but I tried enough to get a clear sense of how Brunette performs with different styles of drink.
Brumble
The Brumble was the first cocktail I made, mostly because it looked the most straightforward. You pour the rum, syrup and espresso into a tumbler, add crushed ice, then float Brunette on top. The layered effect looks great with almost no effort.
The flavour is excellent. Goslings Black Seal gives you a dark, rounded base, while the fresh espresso adds its usual punch. Brunette lifts everything. Because it is lighter in sugar, the coffee notes are cleaner and more aromatic. Instead of the heavy sweetness you often get from coffee liqueurs, you taste roasted cacao and a gentle nuttiness. The shaved white and dark chocolate garnish pushes it towards a dessert, but it never feels overly rich.
It is the kind of cocktail you could serve at a Christmas gathering and be sure it will appeal to a wide range of guests.
Blueberry and Pistachio Espresso Martini
This was easily the most indulgent cocktail I made. Blending pistachio ice cream, blueberries, espresso, and Brunette feels like a slightly chaotic idea on paper, but in the glass, it becomes something close to an affogato with a cocktail’s structure.
The pistachio ice cream gives the drink a silky, almost luxurious texture, while the blueberries bring a gentle fruitiness that keeps everything lifted. Brunette ties the flavours together. Its lighter sweetness stops the drink from becoming heavy, while its roasted coffee notes cut through the richness.
The result is festive, dessert-like, and ideal for anyone who enjoys a luxurious cocktail that still feels grown-up rather than sugary.
Brunette Fizz
This was the one I did not get around to making, although it is high on my list for a future weekend experiment. The combination of white miso, cream, and coffee liqueur sounds bold, but it is the kind of idea that makes sense once you think about it. I imagine that the savoury depth of miso would likely enhance the roasted coffee flavours, while the cream soda top would add a surprising lightness.
If you know someone who loves experimenting with cocktails at home, this is the recipe I would nudge them towards. And do let us know what you thought in the comments below.
Brunette Signature Espresso Martini
If you know me, you will know that I love an Espresso Martini, and I have also endured more than a few poor ones over the years. It is a simple drink, but that simplicity leaves nowhere to hide. If a coffee liqueur can shine in an Espresso Martini, it is usually a good sign. So I was genuinely looking forward to seeing how Brunette performed in the classic serve.
I used Virtuous Vodka Rye and fresh espresso, shaken hard over ice. The aroma is immediately different from a typical espresso martini. Brunette gives it a more expressive nose, with roasted coffee and hints of cacao rather than sweetness.
On the palate, the drink is clean and well-structured. The espresso provides the bitterness, the vodka the body, and Brunette ties everything together. Because it avoids the thick sweetness of many liqueurs, the finish is crisp. It is a lighter, more grown-up version of a very familiar cocktail.
I would happily use Brunette in my weekend Espresso Martini.
How Brunette Performs Overall
Brunette behaves more like a carefully brewed coffee than a confectionery product. It adds depth without heaviness and allows other ingredients to come through. Rum, vodka, cream, fruit, or miso, it sits comfortably alongside them.
Its clarity is its strength. The flavours are bright and defined, which makes it more versatile than many of the big-brand coffee liqueurs on the market. For home cocktail makers, that makes it a highly useful bottle.
Why It Works As A Christmas Gift
Brunette ticks several boxes that matter at Christmas. It is organic, sustainably produced ,and made with care. It has a craft story that feels genuine rather than forced. It is a modern interpretation of a classic liqueur style and avoids the excess sweetness that often limits how and when coffee liqueurs can be used.
Most importantly, it feels like a gift with purpose. Coffee lovers will appreciate the quality of the beans and the cold brew process. Cocktail fans will enjoy how well it performs in both simple and playful recipes. And because it sits under £30, it offers the feel of a premium present without the premium price tag.
Where To Buy
A 70cl bottle is available from Amazon, Masters of Malt, and The Whisky Exchange. The accompanying spirits, Virtuous Vodka Rye and Goslings Black Seal Rum, can also be ordered online. Most of the other ingredients are easy to find in any large supermarket.
Final Thoughts
Brunette Organic Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur is one of the more refreshing additions to my drinks cabinet this year. It is made with genuine craft, it tastes like real coffee, and it performs well in a wide range of cocktails. If you are looking for a Christmas gift that sits somewhere between thoughtful, fun, and quietly sophisticated, Brunette is well worth a look.
Recipes
Recipes created by Giorgia Di Stefano and Saira Khan – the wife and wife team from Demon, Wise & Partners Cocktail Bar in London
Brumble
Ingredients:
25ml Goslings Black Seal rum
15ml Sugar syrup 15ml Espresso
30ml Brunette Organic Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
Method:
Pour all the ingredients into a tumbler glass apart from the coffee liqueur. Fill the glass two thirds full of crushed ice. Pour the coffee liqueur over the crushed ice. Garnish with a mix of white and dark shaved chocolate to create a nice contrast and aroma.
Blueberry & Pistachio Espresso Martini
Ingredients:
50ml Virtuous Vodka Rye
25ml Brunette Organic Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
2 scoop Pistachio ice cream
6 Blueberries
20ml Sugar
50ml Espresso
Method:
Blend all the ingredients together before shaking with ice to create a creamy texture. Garnish with shaved pistachios.
Brunette Fizz
Ingredients:
50ml Brunette Organic Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
Half teaspoon White Miso paste
15ml Salted caramel syrup
1 Egg white (can substitute with 30ml aquafaba)
Double cream 25ml (can substitute with vegan double cream)
Cream soda top
Method:
Dissolve the miso paste into the Brunette. Blend all the ingredients apart from the soda then shake with ice and pour into a Collins glass. Wait for the foam to dry up a couple of seconds before adding the soda. The foam will start raise to the top. Garnish with a piece of dark chocolate.
Brunette Signature Espresso Martini
Ingredients:
50ml Virtuous Vodka Rye
25ml Brunette Organic Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur
50ml Espresso
20ml Sugar syrup
Method:
Shake all the ingredients and strain into a coupette
Latest On The Whiskey Wash
