J. Rieger & Co. Caffe Amaro Coffee Liqueur
J. Rieger & Co. Caffe Amaro Coffee Liqueur is a bittersweet coffee amaro from Kansas City, Missouri — a collaboration between the historic J. Rieger & Co. distillery and local roasters Thou Mayest, who select a single-origin Sumatra roast. Seven botanicals (juniper, cardamom, orange peel, star anise, spearmint, gentian, vanilla) are steeped in corn spirit, blended with cold-brew coffee, rested briefly in whiskey barrels and sweetened with evaporated cane syrup. Bottled at 31% ABV (62 proof) in 750mL, it earned 92 points at the 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge. It's available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 31% (62 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Coffee: single-origin Sumatra, roasted by Thou Mayest (Kansas City); ~467mg caffeine per bottle
- Botanicals: juniper, cardamom, orange peel, star anise, spearmint, gentian, vanilla — steeped in corn spirit
- Process: brief rest in whiskey barrels; sweetened with evaporated cane syrup
- Origin: J. Rieger & Co., Kansas City, Missouri
- Rating: 92 points, 2023 Ultimate Spirits Challenge
Coffee Meets Amaro in Kansas City
J. Rieger & Co. traces to 1887, when Jacob Rieger built what became one of America's great pre-Prohibition whiskey houses; revived by his descendants, it is now Kansas City's landmark craft distillery. The Caffè Amaro — head distiller Nathan Perry calls it "a pain in the ass to make" — fuses two obsessions: ten separate transfers between tanks and barrels marry cold-brew Sumatra coffee with a classic amaro botanical bill, then whiskey-barrel rest and cane syrup bring it together. Saveur named it the best coffee liqueur for sipping; Drinkhacker gave it a B+ and 8.5/10. It is equally at home as a digestif and in cocktails. Browse more coffee liqueurs, explore amaro & bitters, or see the J. Rieger & Co. range at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Per the brand and Drinkhacker: black licorice, menthol, citrus and coffee on the nose; a bitter-forward palate of gentian and anise flipping to coffee with vanilla and bittersweet chocolate; a long, Fernet-like bitter finish with black coffee and dark chocolate notes.
How to Enjoy
Neat or on the rocks as a digestif — or sub it for Campari in a Boulevardier, sweet vermouth in a Manhattan riff, or float it in an Espresso Martini.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Caffe Amaro?
A bittersweet coffee liqueur in the Italian amaro tradition — botanicals plus cold-brew coffee, briefly barrel-rested.
How much caffeine is in it?
About 467mg per 750mL bottle — less than five cups of drip coffee in the whole bottle; you'll feel the alcohol first.
Where is J. Rieger & Co. located?
Kansas City, Missouri — a revived 1887 whiskey house, now the city's landmark craft distillery.
Kansas City's bitter-sweet masterpiece — order J. Rieger & Co. Caffe Amaro Coffee Liqueur online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.