It seems like there is a “national day” for everything now, but when one of those days is centered around food or alcohol, there doesn’t really seem to be a problem. February 27 is National Kahlua Day this year, and it just seems a shame not to celebrate this wonderful liquer. Kahlua hails from Mexico and if you didn’t already know, is a coffee flavored, rum-based liquer, and is delicious. It is hard to resist the temptation of draining an entire bottle of this stuff, but if you want to avoid a nasty sugar/alcohol fueled headache, you should stick to enjoying it in small bursts. Since it is sweet and tastes like coffee, Kahlua is perfect for flavoring desserts and cocktails. If National Kahlua Day is something you definitely want to celebrate, try one of these luxurious cocktails. If you’re having one of these, you can probably skip dessert. Or you can go double or nothing and pair your Kahlua cocktail with some Kahlua cheesecake…
(And if you’re feeling extra adventurous, check out this recipe and you can make your own Kahlua using whatever coffee is your favorite!)
1. The Bayside Blizzard (via Life by the Bayside)
It is still pretty cold out in a lot of places, so you can’t go wrong with a drink that is a little bit warm. The drink is made of fresh, hot coffee, kahlua of course, vodka and Godiva liquer. If you’re soul was getting a little icy this winter, this should warm you up. Perfect for sitting by a window and watching the snow melt away, and hopefully not fall.
2. Kahlua Float (via Heather Christo)
Can you think of a better way to celebrate this important national holiday than with a cocktail that can double as a dessert? This drink is simple, and classy. Kahlua, ice cream, and champagne? Yes please. Rimming the glass with sprinkles is also an awesome idea, and a trick that would be great for a lot of fun party drinks, like cake martinis and anything else that is nice and sweet.
3. Kahlua Hot Chocolate (via Damn Delicious)
Take a second to stop drooling over the deliciousness that is this hot chocolate. Apart from the heap of marshmallows, this recipe isn’t quite as indulgent as it looks. You just have to whip up some homemade hot cocoa using milk and cocoa powder, not as tricky as it seems, and if you are worried about the calorie count, you can always use lower fat milk or maybe even almond milk. The drink is also flavored with cinammon, so you get all kinds of sweet, spicy and coffee flavors. P.s. I’m drooling again.
4. Kahlua, Eggnog and Jameson Irish Whiskey Cocktail (via Creative Culinary)
Yes, I am aware that it is almost March and eggnog is a Christmas “food,” but bear with me. Who says you can only drink eggnog in December? The store bought stuff is long gone, and you can make your own, healthy eggnog, which really is a whole different animal. The Kahlua and eggnog are both rich, but that richness gets cut a little with some classic Jame-o. And if you really want to cut calories, just take a shot of Jameson and chase it with some Kahlua. It could totally be the new “Pickleback.”
And if none of these fancy and indulgent cocktails are speaking to you, there’s always the good old White Russian. Or a straight up Kahlua on the rocks.
I don’t drink alcohol or consume sugar, dairy, etc – BUT MAN, if I did… I would DOWN all of these!