Santa Maria al Monte Caffè Ligure Coffee Liqueur (70cl, 30%)

A coffee liqueur from the historic Genoese amaro house whose bitter recipe was patented in 1892 and carried for three generations by the family of Nicola Vignale. It is produced today by Gruppo Caffo using the original recipes and methods, and bottled at 30% ABV in a 700ml bottle. The coffee is mostly arabica with some robusta, sourced from Ethiopia, Honduras, Brazil and Uganda and roasted in small batches by an artisanal roaster in Calabria. The beans are macerated in hot water and that infusion is blended with a neutral grain distillate, vanilla, cocoa and beet sugar. The producer describes a rich espresso nose, a sweet, coating palate like chocolate-covered coffee beans with bright acidity, and a finish that recalls Italian pocket-coffee candies. Skurnik, its US importer, notes rich chocolate, vanilla and marshmallow in an Espresso Martini serve.