Tutorials: Making Kahlua by Aneesh Bhasin

When I read on twitter that Aneesh was making his own Kahlua I was very intrigued. It sounded like a very daunting task and something I haven't done before. He promised it was easy and very generously agreed to share his recipe with us! So, here you go. Big thank you Aneesh, and as usual, I promise passion fruit macarons in return!


Aneesh's Recipe for Kahlua
What you need!

1. Ground coffee (not instant) to make 500ml of black coffee

2. Brown sugar 150grams

3. Cinnamon sticks

4. Vanilla essence 

5. Vodka 300ml

Step 1

 

Perhaps the most important step of the process. Deciding which coffee to use and then brewing it.

I personally used Davidoff's Cafe Creme beans, freshly grounded and then brewed in a French press. You can get arabica beans from Cafe Coffee Day or Natures Basket.

We need about 500ml of black coffee to start with. 

Step 2

Boil the coffee on a low flame to reduce it to about 350ml

Step 3

Add 150 grams of brown sugar, a few cinnamon sticks and 2 caps of vanilla essence.

Step 4

Add 300ml your favorite vodka! Not a good idea to use expensive vodka for your first attempt. Use something like Smirnoff or Magic Moments.

Step 5

Taste and review! Now would be the time to add more vodka or sugar, depending on your taste preference. 

Step 6

Enjoy on the rocks! Or if you are in the mood for a little extra, either add some Cointreau for a brilliant orange kick or some Jose Cuervo black tequila for some spicy tequila kick. If you plan to add Cointreau to the Kahlua, you might not want the base Kahlua to be too sweet.

Aneesh is an award winning professional photographer, writer & consultant based in Mumbai. He shoots almost all genres of photography including people and travel. He is the Co Founder of Indian Wine List and also blogs for GQ and CN Traveller. (Also, please don't ask him which camera to buy!)

www.aneeshbhasin.com
www.twitter.com/aneeshb