How much sugar? A coffee liqueur comparison

We all know that liqueurs by definition include sugar, and coffee liqueurs are no different. Sugar isn't just for sweetness; it also affects texture, mouthfeel and the liqueur's interactions with other ingredients like ice or spirits.

When we set out to create our coffee liqueur here at Derw, we knew we wanted simple, good quality ingredients. Our pure cold brew coffee is less bitter and less acidic than regular coffee, so we don't need to overload our coffee liqueur with more sugar to mask the bitterness.

But how does it compare with the big brands?

Coffee liqueur sugar content

We researched the three big coffee liqueurs to compare their sugar content. This is what we found:

 

Kahlúa Coffee Liqueur 

Sugar content: 39.3g per 100ml sugar spoon x 5

 

Tia Maria Coffee Liqueur 

Sugar content: 33.3g per 100ml Sugar spoon x 4

 

Patrón XO Cafe Coffee Liqueur 

Sugar content: 38.7g per 100ml sugar spoon x 5

 

Derw Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur

Sugar content: 8.4g per 100ml sugar spoon x 1

 

So, Kahlúa tops the sugary charts with 39.3g of sugar per 100ml, and the lowest is Derw with 8.4g per 100ml. Derw has 75-80% less sugar than the other three liqueurs, and much less sugar than most liqueurs in general.

So there you have it! Another good reason to drink Derw, if there weren't enough already :)

 

Sources:

https://www.kahlua.com/en-gb/products/original-coffee-liqueur/
https://www.calorieking.com/au/en/foods/f/calories-in-liqueurs-tia-maria-20-alc/u1xPJhziQPKklBRVXq35Eg
https://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/xo-cafe-coffee-liqueur-327684907
[Derw lab analysis available on request]

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