Matchbook Distilling Maillard Liqueur
Matchbook Distilling Maillard Liqueur is a limited-edition collaboration between Matchbook Distilling Co. of Greenport, New York and the Culinary Institute of America: a spirit distilled from 100% organic Maine oats, infused with browned New York butter, roasted oats and brown sugar. Bottled at 30% ABV in a 750mL bottle, it captures the flavor of the Maillard reaction itself — find it among the most inventive bottles in our liqueurs collection.
- Style: Liqueur (Oat, Browned Butter & Brown Sugar)
- ABV: 30%
- Size: 750mL
- Producer: Matchbook Distilling Co. × Culinary Institute of America
- Region: Greenport, New York
Into the Bottle
The Maillard reaction — amino acids and sugars transforming under heat — is what browns bread crusts, roasts coffee and toasts granola. To bottle it, the chef educators at the CIA browned 400 lbs of butter, slowly boiling out the water until the sugars and amino acids concentrated into nutty, caramelized depth. Back in Greenport, Matchbook fermented a mash of organic Maine oats for a week and distilled it through their copper pot-column stills, then macerated the spirit with the browned butter — a fat-washing technique — with roasted oats and brown sugar. A true one-off in our spirits range, and a natural pick from our Holiday Gift Guide for the cook in your life.
Tasting Notes
Brown butter, toasted granola and caramelized sugar, with almond and grain notes and the aroma of croissants and financiers fresh from the oven.
How to Enjoy
Matchbook's suggested serve is the Fireside Fika: 1 oz espresso, 2 oz Maillard, 1/4 oz simple syrup and 2 oz tonic water over fresh ice — coffee and cake in a glass. It also rewards slow sipping neat, and adds baked, buttery depth to coffee cocktails and dessert drinks.
FAQ
What is the Maillard reaction? The browning reaction between amino acids and sugars under heat that creates the complex flavors in toasted, roasted and baked foods — the inspiration for this liqueur.
What is it made from? Spirit distilled from 100% organic Maine oats, infused with browned New York butter, roasted oats and brown sugar.
How strong is it? 30% ABV (60 proof), 750mL. It is a limited edition made with the Culinary Institute of America.
Matchbook Distilling Maillard Liqueur is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.