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TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur, Perhaps The Best Coffee Liqueur

November 30, 2019 at 8:58 am · Filed under Cocktails & Spirits, Coffee & Tea, Giftable, The Nibble, Top Pick Of The Week

Updated July 2026

When we first tasted Mr. Black at a trade show, it was magnificent—but only available in Australia, where it was created.

Wholesale buyers liked it too, because now it’s widely available in the U.S.

And then, the brand got so hot that sales zoomed toward the top of the pack, and it was acquired by spirits giant Diageo.

If you enjoy other coffee liqueurs, you’ve got to try Mr. Black.

If you know a coffee drinker who’d enjoy sipping a rich, intense, coffee liqueur, treat them to a bottle.

Below:

> About Mr. Black Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur.

> Ways to enjoy coffee liqueur.

> A brief history of liqueur.

> Eau de vie, cordial, liqueur, and schnaps: the difference.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The year’s 7 liqueur holidays.

> The year’s 25 coffee holidays.

> October 16th is National Liqueur Day.
 
 
WHAT IS MR. BLACK COLD BREW COFFEE LIQUEUR?

Mr. Black is a cold brew coffee liqueur, and in our experience, one of the best coffee liqueurs you can buy.

Each bottle is handmade at the company’s coffee roastery and distillery just north of Sydney, Australia (photo #2).

This craft-focused spirit blends specialty-grade Arabica coffee with Australian wheat vodka and natural cane sugar. At 25% ABV, it features a rich, robust coffee profile.

Plus, it has half the sugar and ten times the coffee content of traditional coffee liqueurs, making it a terrific for everything from sipping straight to Espresso Martinis to pouring over vanilla or coffee ice cream.

Mr. Black was developed to appeal to serious coffee aficionados. It emphasizes the purity of coffee flavor using a blend of beans from the best growing regions.

  • Ethiopian Djimmah is a specialty coffee with a light-medium roast bringing chocolate, toffee and fruit flavors to the blend.
  • Papua New Guinea beans add zesty citrus notes.
  • Brazilian Arabica, roasted two ways, brings, fresh cold brew notes.

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    Next, the beans are roasted, ground and brewed.

  • The beans are ground with ceramic burrs.
  • The different ground beans are cold-brewed separately, into concentrate.
  • They are then blended to achieve a the best range of flavor and balance.
  • Brewing artisans fine-tune the water composition, temperature and time for each batch.

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    The difference between something good and something great comes down to the details, says the company, and they are correct.
     
     
    HOW TO ENJOY MR. BLACK COFFEE LIQUEUR

  • Straight up or on the rocks.
  • Made into cocktails (see the recipes), including a great Espresso Martini.
  • Added to hot or iced coffee, cappuccino, latte, or espresso.
  • Mixed into mousse or whipped cream.
  • Drizzled over ice cream or cheesecake.
  • In milkshakes or floats.
  • In a glass of hot milk or hot chocolate.
  • Mixed into chocolate sauce.

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    > Discover more on the company website.

    > They’ve got lots of tempting cocktail recipes!

    You can find Mr. Black at stores nationwide and online. Here’s a store locator for both retail and e-tail.
     
     
    A BRIEF HISTORY OF LIQUEUR

    		  

    Bottle Of Mr. Black Cold Brew Espresso Liqueur
    [1] Our favorite coffee liqueur, rich and complex for serious coffee palates (photos #1 and #3 © Mr. Black | Diageo).

    Mr. Black Espresso Martini
    [2] Make the best Espresso Martini (photo © The Nibble).


    [3] Filling the bottles at the distillery.

    Espresso Liqueur Sundae
    [4] A very easy, elegant dessert: Pour a jigger of Mr. Black atop a coupe of coffee and vanilla ice cream (photo © The Nibble).
     
    A liqueur (lih-KUR) is an alcoholic drink composed of distilled spirits and additional flavorings that can include bark, flowers, fruits, herbs, roots and spices.

    And sugar! Often served with, or after, dessert, liqueurs are typically heavily sweetened.

    Liqueurs are historical descendants of herbal medicines that originated in the Middle Ages as medicinal elixirs crafted by monks and alchemists. Records have been found in Italy as early as the 13th century.

    By macerating herbs, fruits, and spices in distilled spirits and adding sugar for palatability, they sought to cure ailments and prolong life (for example, Chartreuse). The French word liqueur is derived from the Latin liquifacere, which means “to dissolve.”

    Over time, these healing medicines (i.e., alcoholic tonics) evolved into popular recreational beverages and foundational cocktail ingredients.
     
    The First Coffee Liqueurs

    Coffee was being infused into spirits in Europe by at least the 18th century. Early recipes were often homemade or made by small, local cordial producers.

    The first commercial coffee liqueur brand was Kahlúa, introduced in Mexico in 1936. Made with Arabica coffee, sugar, vanilla, and rum, it became the archetypal modern coffee liqueur.

    Tia Maria claims roots in a 17th-century Jamaican origin story, but its documented commercial production and international don’t appear until the mid-20th century. It combines Jamaican rum, coffee, vanilla, and sugar. It has more recently reformulated to a cold brew version, shown in the photo below.

    The reason we prefer Mr. Black is that it’s less sweet and more coffee-forward than the classic Kahlúa/Tia Maria tradition.

    > Here’s a longer history of liqueur.
     
    Bottles Of Leading Coffee Liqueurs
    [5] Five major coffee liqueur brands by worldwide sales, shown in alphabetical order. Kahlúa (Pernod Ricard) remains the undisputed global leader in the coffee liqueur category. Tia Maria (Illva Saronno) is a key legacy brand. Mr Black (Diageo) is the leading contemporary brand. Caffè Borghetti is the favorite in Italy. Jägermeister Cold Brew blends the original Jägermeister herbal liqueur with roasted Arabica coffee and cacao (photo © The Nibble).
     
     
    EAU DE VIE, CORDIAL, LIQUEUR & SCHNAPS: THE DIFFERENCE

    Liqueur has numerous “relatives.” Here’s are their differences.

  • Schnaps/schnapps, a generic German word for liquor or any alcoholic beverage, is more specific in English, where it refers to clear brandies distilled from fermented fruits. The English added a second “p,” spelling the word as schnapps. True Schnaps has no sugar added, but products sold in the U.S. as schnapps may indeed be sweetened. As one expert commented, “German Schnaps is to American schnapps as German beer is to American Budweiser.”
  • Eau de vie is the French term for Schnaps. American-made brands labeled eau de vie (“water of life”) are often heavily sweetened, and have added glycerine for thickening.
  • Liqueur is an already distilled alcohol made from grain which has already been fermented, into which fruits are steeped. It is sweeter and more syrupy than a European eau de vie or schnapps.
  • Cordial, in the U.S., almost always refers to a syrupy, sweet alcoholic beverage, a synonym for liqueur. In the U.K., it refers to a non-alcoholic, sweet, syrupy drink or the syrup used to make such a drink. Rose’s Lime Cordial, a British brand, is called Rose’s Lime Juice in the U.S. so Americans don’t think it’s alcoholic.

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    TIP OF THE DAY: French Toast Recipes For National French Toast Day

    November 29, 2019 at 8:59 am · Filed under Breakfast & Brunch, Food Holidays, Recipes, The Nibble, Tip Of The Day


    [1] Dulce De Leche French Toast with macerated fresh berries, dulce de leche drizzle and a hand-whipped cream (photo © Chica | Las Vegas).

    French Toast Sandwich
    [2] French toast sandwich with jam. Here’s the recipe (photo © Zulka Sugar).

    Apple Pecan French Toast
    [3] Apple Pecan French Toast. Here’s the recipe (photo © Zulka Sugar).

    French Toast Recipe
    [4] Pumpkin-batter French Toast with a sauteed apple topping. Here’s the recipe (photo © Domesticate Me | Peapod).

    Savory French Toast
    [5] Savory French Toast topped with tomatoes and cheese. Here’s the recipe (photo © Castello Cheese).


    [6] Peach & Banana Stuffed French Toast (photo © Mackenzie Ltd.)

    		  

    November 28th is National French Toast Day, but this year it fell on Thanksgiving.

    So think of this tip not as being a day late, but as inspiration for Thanksgiving Weekend brunch. Thanks to Flavor & The Menu for the list.

    While these ideas are for pan-fried French toast, you can also bake French Toast: equally delicious!

    You can also make French Toast sandwiches like the Monte Cristo, an evolution of the Croque-Monsieur, a French sandwich of ham and Gruyère cheese, buttered and lightly browned on both sides in a skillet or under a broiler.

    Here’s the recipe so you can try it for lunch—although probably not on the same day you have French Toast for breakfast.

    Now, to the mix-and-match ingredients list. Try different combinations to find your signature French Toast recipe.
     
     
    PICK YOUR BREAD

    There are no limits on bread varieties, shapes, thickness.
     
    Traditional French Toast Breads

  • Brioche
  • Challah
  • Texas toast (thick slices of buttered white bread)

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    Non-Traditional French Toast Breads

  • Babka
  • Baguette
  • Banana bread, zucchini bread, gingerbread
  • Cinnamon rolls, sticky buns
  • Croissant
  • Monkey bread
  • Panettone (recipe) or pandoro (recipe)
  • Pound cake
  • Raisin bread
  • Swirl bread (cinnamon, pumpkin)
  • Whole grain bread

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    BATTERS

    You can dip the bread into the batter right before cooking, or soak it overnight.

    Here’s the classic custard dip, plus special batters that a surprise of flavor.

  • Classic: whole milk or heavy cream, eggs, pure vanilla extract, cinnamon and/or nutmeg
  • Pancake: use a thinner version of pancake batter to dip the bread, combining two breakfast classics
  • Savory: buttermilk, eggs, chopped fresh herbs, sea salt, cracked pepper
  • Seasonal: egg nog (recipe)
  • Textural: retro cereal coatings, healthful cereal/granola coatings, puffed grains, seeds
  • Tres leches: evaporated milk, Thai coconut milk, heavy cream, eggs and pure vanilla extract, honey, cinnamon

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    FILLINGS

    Plain French Toast is great comfort food. But why not add an element of excitement with fillings between the layers of bread?

  • Bananas or caramelized bananas
  • Compote, sautéed fruit
  • Cream cheese (plain or flavored) or other soft cheese
  • Custard
  • Dried fruit relish
  • Flavored custard, whipped cream style cheeses
  • Ice cream
  • Jam (including PB&J French Toast)
  • Nut compotes, nut butters
  • Nutella
  • Savory: seasoned ground meat and/or vegetable blends, tomatoes and cheese (recipe), olive cream cheese and fresh basil or arugula, etc.

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    TOPPINGS

    Sweet, savory, indulgent, healthful, fun/whimsical and premium: Take your choice.

  • Dessert interpretations: Bananas Foster, cheesecake, tiramisu, pies/crumbles, churros
  • Fresh or macerated fruit
  • Fried egg
  • Housemade relishes and compotes
  • Whipped flavored mascarpone
  • Soft savory cheese (herbed goat cheese, for example)

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    SAUCE/SYRUP

    Classic and/or modern finishes complete your French Toast delight.

  • Caramel, including flavored caramels
  • Chocolate sauce or spiced chocolate sauce drizzle
  • Crème anglaise
  • Preserves or marmalade
  • Pure maple syrup or fruit-infused syrup
  • Warmed honey or spicy honey
  • Whipped honey butter

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    THE HISTORY OF FRENCH TOAST
     

      

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    STOCKING STUFFER: Lucha Crunch Bar, The Undisputed Champion

    November 27, 2019 at 8:50 am · Filed under Candy & Confections, Chocolate, Food Facts - Food History, Giftable, Party Favors-Stocking Stuffers

    In Mexico, “lucha libre” is freestyle wrestling (literally, “free fight”).

    It has developed into a stylish form of the professional wrestling, characterized by colorful masks, rapid sequences of holds and maneuvers, and “high-flying” maneuvers, some of which have been adopted into U.S. wrestling.

    Gearharts Chocolates has ported the colorful spirit of wresting into a scrumptious chocolate crunch bar, which has become our new favorite candy.

    The Lucha Crunch Bar is a 5″ x 2.5″ delight that is not to be missed.

    The enticing packaging has artwork in Lucha Libre style, including a mask!

    The luscious, nut-free candy bar inside is filled with Mexican-inspired flavors:

  • Caramel infused with fresh lime.
  • “Half-popped” popcorn for crunch.
  • A touch of chili rojo (red chile) for a bit of kick.
  • A cloak of Gearharts signature blend 40% milk chocolate.

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    We can’t adequately describe the bodacious blend of flavors, except to say:

    All hail the Heavyweight Champion! Lucha Crunch Bar is our favorite chocolate find of the year.
     
    We’re buying a dozen as stocking stuffers, and another dozen to feed our chocolate fix.

    Hopefully, we’ll be able to limit our consumption to one bar per week.

    Get yours at GearhartsChocolates.com.

    		 

    Get yours at GearhartsChocolate.com.


    [1] A bite of Lucha Crunch Bar is a bite of heaven (both photos © Gearharts Chocolates).


    [2] The package is designed in the bright colors of Mexico and the mask of a Lucha Libre wrestler.

     
    THE HISTORY OF CANDY BARS

    The first candy bar was created in 1866. Here are the oldest bars, thanks to Oldest.org, from which this content was adapted.

    To see photos of the bars, click here.

  • 1847, England: Joseph Fry Chocolate Bar. Fry created the first molded chocolate bar in 1847, followed by the Chocolate Cream Bar, the first mass-produced candy bar, in 1866. It had a flavored fondant center.
  • 1875, Switzerland: Nestlé Milk Chocolate. The first milk chocolate bar was originally called the Gala Peter after Daniel Peter, who figured out how to make milk chocolate.
  • 1879, Switzerland: Lindt Chocolate Bar. Rodolphe Lindt created the breakthrough—called conching—that transformed the original hard, chewy chocolate into the smooth, creamy chocolate we know today.
  • 1900: Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar, United States. Milton S. Hershey’s milk chocolate bar was the first mass-produced chocolate in the United States. Before then, most of the world’s chocolate bars were made in Europe, especially Switzerland.
  • 1905, England: Cadbury Dairy Milk Bar. Cadbury had been producing chocolate bars since 1894, but the Dairy Milk Bar featured a higher proportion of milk. It was an instant hit.
  • 1908, Switzerland: Toblerone. Theodore Tobler developed the bar with his cousin Emil Baumann, adding Italian nougat (torrone), almonds and honey to milk chocolate. The name of the bar is a combination of Tobler and torrone, and the triangular shape was inspired by a pyramid of dancers at the Folies Bergères.
  • 1914, England: Fry’s Turkish Delight. From the same family that created the first chocolate bar, this bar covered Turkish Delight, a confection dusted with powdered sugar, in milk chocolate.
  • 1917, United States: Clark Bar. This milk chocolate bar with a crunchy peanut butter center was created by David L. Clark, an Irish-born candy salesman. His company later created the Zagnut Bar.
  • 1920, United States: Oh Henry. Created by the Williamson Candy Company in Chicago, this bar is a mixture of peanuts, caramel and fudge, coated in milk chocolate. The story is that the candy bar was named after a young man who often came to the factory to flirt with the female workers.
  • 1928, United States: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. H. B. Reese created this combination of peanut butter and chocolate. He worked in Milton Hershey’s chocolate factory and was inspired to started making his own chocolates.

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    Company ownership may have changed, but all of these bars are still made today!
      

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