Love Drinks brings Mr Black coffee liqueur to UK

UK-based sales and distribution agency Love Drinks has added Mr Black Cold Press Coffee Liqueur to its brand portfolio.

An illustration appears on the Mr Black bottle as the liquid level falls.

Mr Black was created by designer Tom Baker and distiller Philip Moore, and is produced in a small distillery on the central coast of Australia.

Single origin Arabica coffee beans from Ethiopia, Brazil and Papua New Guinea are selected to create an in-house blend. A cold extraction process produces a full-flavoured coffee which is then basket pressed. The resulting coffee is blended with pure Australian grain spirit, said to allow the coffee blend to “shine through”.

Each step in the production process is handled in house, and there is no addition of flavourings, caramels or vanillas. The resulting liqueur is then bottled in batches of 300 at a time in a 700ml format at 25% abv.

The bottle itself features an illustration by Australian artist Dale Bigeni, which appears as the liquid level falls.

Baker said: “Introducing Mr. Black to the UK is extremely exciting and something that we’ve considered and planned for a while. It certainly feels like the right time to introduce Mr Black to both the UK bar and coffee industries.

“There are definitely similarities between the two sectors, the pride in the drinks they serve and the quality of ingredients they use in their drinks are just two that spring to mind.”

Kirsty Loveday, managing director and founder of Love Drinks added: “Like Tom, we have been waiting to bring Mr Black to the UK for some time and are excited to see what the reaction will be.

“In the initial tastings we’ve held, feedback has been incredible and even our sales team have been pushing for an earlier launch as they can see the potential Mr. Black has within the drinks industry and beyond.”

Suggested serves for Mr Black include the Black Negroni (25ml Mr Black Cold Press Coffee Liqueur, 25ml gin, 15ml Campari, 10ml sweet vermouth), The Ryeball (40ml Mr Black Cold Press Coffee Liqueur, 25ml rye whisky, 12.5ml Campari, 1 dash of The Bitter Truth Chocolate Bitters) and the Flat White Russian (25ml Mr Black Cold Press Coffee Liqueur, 25ml vodka, espresso, steamed milk).

In July, Research by CGA Strategy identified “huge potential” for serving alcoholic drinks in coffee shops, with cocktails proving to be the most popular tipple of choice.