Make this Stunning Coffee Liqueur for the Holidays

Share Cordial 44 with guests or gift a bottle to a friend

 
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Coffee-Infused Decadence 

Golden-hued and decadent, the rum-based Cordial 44 might be the most beautiful coffee-infused liqueur we’ve seen. With citrus season upon us and a little more than fifty days until guests arrive at your door, we wanted to share this old-fashioned recipe that combines rum, orange, coffee, and sugar, and comes to us by way of France. 

The cordial’s name, “44,” is a clever mnemonic: It takes forty-four days to make and uses forty-four coffee beans and forty-four teaspoons of sugar, in addition to one liter of rum and one orange.

Simply make shallow slits in a whole orange and fill each incision with a coffee bean. 

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“The cordial’s name, “44,” is a clever mnemonic: It takes forty-four days to make and uses forty-four coffee beans and forty-four teaspoons of sugar, in addition to one liter of rum and one orange.”
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Combine the orange, sugar, and rum, and then watch and wait. 

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In a matter of weeks, the rum goes from clear to tawny, and the flavors commingle to make a complexly spiced concoction in the vein of Carpano Antica, a beguiling sweet vermouth—except, of course, that 44 is homemade, higher-proof, and perfumed with your favorite coffee.

Hayes Valley, our classic espresso blend, is intensely chocolatey and flecked with brown sugar and orange zest—we think it's a natural choice to use with rum and orange. 

There's no right coffee, though, so experiment with your favorite blend or single origin, or opt for the caffeine-free Night Light, which would make a splash of 44 a fitting nightcap after a holiday meal. 

Cordial 44

Cordial 44 Recipe

Adapted from Saveur

Ingredients

  • 1 large orange

  • 44 Hayes Valley Espresso coffee beans (or your preferred single origin or blend)

  • ¾ cup + 3 tablespoons sugar

  • 1 liter white rum 

Using a paring knife, poke forty-four slits into the orange. Push a coffee bean into every opening. Place the orange into a wide-mouthed vessel (don't worry if the orange gets bruised), and add the sugar and rum. Seal tightly with a lid and swirl the mixture initially to help the rum make contact with the sugar. 

Store in a cool, dark place. Every couple of days, gently swirl the jar to help the sugar dissolve completely. 

After forty-four days, pour the liqueur through a fine-mesh strainer, or a strainer lined with cheese cloth, into clean bottles. Serve neat or on the rocks. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. 

Coffee GuideTom PurtillRecipe, Cordial