Bring coffee, not another bottle.
Heading somewhere for a Winter dinner? Take one of our spirit coffees: whisky, bourbon or rum. A gift for the table that is still useful tomorrow morning. No alcohol, just the flavour the barrels leave behind. A unique gift everyone can enjoy.
What is spirit infused coffee?
Very few Australian roasters make it. We have spent years getting it right, and it is one of the things we are best known for.
We rest green coffee beans in real ex-whisky, bourbon and rum barrels for several weeks and follow with a careful process we've developed in-house. The beans take on the aroma and flavour the spirit left in the oak. Then we roast them fresh in Apollo Bay. No syrups, no flavouring oils, and no alcohol in the cup - the roast takes care of that. Just coffee with the character of the original spirit it rested with.
Three coffees, three kinds of coffee person.
Choose your gift by their personality.
Real barrels. No shortcuts.
This is not flavoured coffee. We age green beans in ex-spirit oak barrels on site, with a process we have spent years refining. The beans rest for weeks, taking on the oak, the sweetness and the last of the spirit character. Then we roast to a medium level and taste-test every batch.
Aged on-site in real ex-spirit barrels from Australian distilleries.
No syrups, no flavouring oils, no liquid added.
Zero alcohol - the roast passes 200°C, the aroma stays, the alcohol does not.
Roasted fresh in Apollo Bay with the roast date on the bag.
Three coffees, three Winter drinks.
The spirit coffees are good gifts on their own. They are better when you know what to do with them. Here's one creative recipe per coffee to share with a group: after dinner, dessert, and the cold-night treat.
Made with Whisky Aged Single Origin · Serve after dinner
The Midnight Cask Cream Float
A whisky-aged coffee served hot through cold cream, with orange, brown sugar, maple syrup and a little winter spice.
You'll need (makes 1)
- 90 ml strong brewed Whisky Aged coffee (or a freshly brewed double-espresso) topped up to 150mL with hot water.
- 2 tsp dark brown sugar or panela
- 1 strip orange peel
- 1 small piece cinnamon stick, or a pinch of ground cinnamon
- 1 clove + a pinch of salt
- 40 ml cold thickened cream + 1/4 tsp maple syrup or brown sugar
- Dark chocolate or nutmeg to finish
Method
- Warm a mug or heatproof glass.
- In a small saucepan, warm the coffee, sugar, orange peel, cinnamon, clove, salt until the sugar dissolves and the peel smells fragrant. Don't boil hard. (Alternatively use your milk jug and steam wand to heat and blend the ingredients).
- Strain the liquid into your glass.
- Lightly whip the cream with the maple syrup until it thickens but still pours.
- Float the cream over the back of a spoon.
- Finish with grated dark chocolate or nutmeg. Drink it through the cream.
A bottle is for the night. This is the coffee you serve after the plates are cleared.
Made with Wild Bourbon · The dessert one
Sticky Date Latte
Rich sticky date pudding, but make it latte. Bourbon-infused coffee with a quick sticky-date butter, steamed milk and a little salt.
You'll need (makes 1)
- 1 soft Medjool date, chopped
- 1 tsp butter + 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp hot water
- Pinch of cinnamon + pinch of salt
- Wild Bourbon brewed as a double-espresso
- Steamed milk
- Nutmeg, cinnamon or toasted pecan crumbs to finish
Method
- Mash the date, butter, sugar, hot water, cinnamon and salt into a rough paste. Warm briefly if needed to help.
- Brew the Wild Bourbon espresso straight into your serving glass.
- Stir a big teaspoon of the paste into the cold milk.
- Steam the milk and pour into the glass through a tea strainer to catch the date solids.
- Finish with nutmeg or pecan crumbs.
The salt matters - it stops the drink becoming flat sweetness. Batch the date butter for six drinks and keep it in the fridge.
Made with The Last Embers · The cold-night treat
Coconut Snowcap
Rum-infused coffee poured over coconut cream and vanilla ice cream, finished with cinnamon and toasted coconut.
You'll need (makes 1)
- 60-90 ml strong brewed (or a double espresso) The Last Embers
- 1 small scoop vanilla ice cream
- 30 ml coconut cream
- 1 tsp condensed milk or maple syrup
- Pinch of cinnamon + pinch of salt
- Toasted coconut flakes
- Orange zest, optional
Method
- Centre a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a small bowl.
- Stir the coconut cream, condensed milk, cinnamon and salt together, then spoon it over the ice cream.
- Pour the hot coffee over the top.
- Finish with toasted coconut and a little zest. Serve with a spoon.
The salt matters - it stops the drink becoming flat sweetness. Batch the date butter for six drinks and keep it in the fridge.