Kahlúa is a well known Mexican coffee-flavored liqueur. It is heavy and sweet, with a distinct taste of coffee, from which it is made. Kahlúa also contains sugar, corn syrup and vanilla bean.
//Allied Domecq, which was created in 1994 as the result of a merger between Allied Lyons and Pedro Domecq, had produced Kahlúa since 1936[1] until the company was partially acquired in 2005 by Pernod Ricard, the largest spirits distributor in the world since the merger with the Swedish ``Vin & Sprit`` in March 2008.
The alcohol content of Kahlúa varies between 20.0% and 35% depending on individual markets. In 2002, a more expensive, high-end product called ``Kahlúa Especial`` became available in the United States, Canada and Australia after previously being offered only in duty-free markets. Made with premium Arabica coffee beans grown in Veracruz, Mexico,[2] Kahlúa Especial has an alcohol content of 36% and has a lower viscosity and is less sweet than the regular version.
As the original producer Domecq tried to preserve a Veracruzan identity to its product, the name Kahlúa was chosen as a feature of its originality. Kahlúa means ``House of the Acolhua people`` in the Veracruz Nahuatl language spoken before the Spanish Conquest; then it was Hispanicized as Ulúa, forming the name of modern San Juan de Ulúa fortress.
Kahlúa is used to make cocktails and as a topping or ingredient in several desserts, including ice cream, cakes, and cheesecakes.
A few notable cocktails made with Kahlúa include the B-52, Baby Guinness, Mudslide, and the White Russian and Black Russian.
It can also be enjoyed in cold cream, in milk, or mixed with hot coffee or cocoa.