New Deal Distillers Coffee Liqueur

Many people tend to see alcoholic coffee drinks as some variation on an Irish Coffee, served hot with the tell-tale whiskey smell and topped with frothy cream, or perhaps a Kahlua-based drink like a White Russian or some such liquid-dessert confection. While I do heart me the occasional Espresso Martini, I find I gravitate towards less cloying liqueurs. So to avoid the syrupy ones you can make your own, or go with one of the international varieties, but I would suggest going with the growing craft distillery industry in Portland, OR as they appear to be pushing a trend of coffee liqueurs. Naturally being quite keen on both coffee and spirits, this is a welcome development for yours truly. (The fact that it's in my hometown is just perk-a-licious.) 

Last fall at a local farmer's market I bought a bottle of coffee liqueur from Portland's Distillery Row members, House Spirits, completely impressed by the (sale price and) lack of usual oily residue and mitigated sugar content. Of course you can make cocktails with it, but it was a surprise to enjoy it neat as a digestif. Similarly, as I learned this week, the New Deal Distillery has produced an excellent coffee liqueur, along with four others from the Row, all comparable in quality. Branch out away from mimosas! These make a nice addition to brunch too, FYI. Highly recommend trying one of these spirits for coffee lovers of all kinds.