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I have an unhealthy relationship with coffee. There I said it. I grew up as someone who never really had coffee and then became someone who was fuelled solely by it. And oftentimes, your twenties and a steady diet of indie movies, music, and desolate books can convince you that coffee and cigarettes are the breakfast of the champions. It was almost like there was no middle ground, but life (and my gut health) had other plans.
As I got older, I was forced to develop a more balanced relationship with coffee — only a cup or two, never after 4 pm and only after a decent meal. All that being said, coffee still holds a powerful place in my life — culinary and otherwise. I have spent hours finding the right mug for my morning cuppa, and I am part of more than one home barista group, I confess.
While I might be someone who sticks to her cold brews and French Press and doesn't down gallons of it like I used to, even the aroma of coffee can wake me up and a mean espresso martini is always high up on the list of my favourite cocktails. Recently, I wrote about the Filtr Gin from Stranger and Sons and my colleague Drishya talked about how ‘Indian Filter Coffee Is Everywhere, All At Once’. As if to substantiate the conversation further on the all-pervasive nature that coffee has taken on in India, I recently chanced upon Quaffine.
Quaffine is "India’s First Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur". To better understand what this means, one has to understand what a liqueur is. After navigating a lot of technical jargon-filled deep dives, I was able to decipher (with the help of a few Reddit threads) that liqueur is an alcoholic drink that has been flavoured after it has been fermented. For example, the Campari and Cointreau are Orange Bitter Liqueurs while Baileys is an Irish Cream Liqueur that is globally famous. Kahlua from Mexico is considered one of the most iconic among liqueurs. With regard to composition, by flavouring the vat after the fermentation process, the sugar from the flavours remains intact in a liqueur. This, in turn, allows the sweetness/flavour of the sugars to remain, making the liqueur taste sweeter and feel more smooth.
Crafted from 100% Arabica beans sourced from Chikmagalur, Quaffine proudly highlights the Indian terroir of its flavours and has come out with blazing recognition on a global level. A product from Indie Brews & Spirits Pvt Ltd., it won the Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2023. It is currently available across Goa, Thailand, and Kenya and is amping for release in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.
According to the brand, Quaffine liqueur undergoes a “...unique 18-step process ensures unparalleled taste, consistency, and quality in every bottle,” and can be used as everything from shots and cocktails to even desserts. The brand provides a whole host of different cocktail recipes and ideas on their website — from the obvious Espresso Martini to a more elusive tropical cocktail they’ve dubbed ‘The Doctor’s Prescription’, that calls for Quaffine liqueur with some Feni, orange juice, pineapple juice and cream of coconut.
To add to the experience, the label of Quaffine illustrates coffee’s journey and the 7 pivotal moments in its history — from the discovery of wild coffee bean in Ethiopia by a shepherd to the story of the Sufi Saint who snuck it into India to a whole host of other tidbits from the history of coffee and alcohol, crafting an interesting experience for the consumer.
Founded by passionate alco-bev veterans Isaac Vivek Mani and Olson Pereira after decades of industry expertise, Quaffine is an authentic, 100% Indian coffee liqueur that is distinctly homegrown offering, with a much deserving nod to the iconic Madras filter coffee.
In addition to coffee, roasted nuts, raisins, and a hint of butter are noticeable in Quaffine, as well as tasting notes of dates, and chocolate and it has an ABV of 25%. By working closely with local ingredients and resources, Quaffine is truly homegrown through and through and they're even coming up with a special Christmas variant for 2024. This limited edition varient, according to the brand, is inspired by the Christmas treat of Gingerbread Man Cookies and will feature notes of “warm spices, butter, molasses and holiday cheer."
Follow Quaffine here.
