Kahlúa is a coffee liqueur made in Mexico, first produced by Pedro Domecq in 1936. The name is said to come from Veracruz Nahuatl and to mean "house of the Acolhua people". It is now owned by Pernod Ricard, which took on the brand when it partly acquired Allied Domecq in 2005. An American importer, Jules Berman, helped carry it north and picked up the nickname "Mr. Kahlúa".
It is made from roasted, ground arabica coffee blended with water and sugar cane spirit, then sweetened with sugar. Vanilla and caramel are added and the liqueur rests for eight weeks before it is bottled. It smells of fresh coffee, dark chocolate and vanilla, with a mocha finish.
It is the base of several famous mixed drinks, including the White Russian, which adds vodka and cream, the Black Russian, the Espresso Martini and the layered B-52. It works without a shaker too. Pour a small amount over vanilla ice cream for a quick dessert, or stir a spoonful into a mug of hot milk or coffee after dinner.