🥃 Aperitivo Café de Alcoy
Spanish coffee spirit drink from the province of Alicante: natural roasted arabica coffee macerated in spirit for at least 9 days, 15–25% ABV; EU geographical indication.
Aperitivo Café de Alcoy, known locally as 'café licor' or 'café gelat', is an EU geographical indication from the province of Alicante. Naturally roasted arabica coffee is steeped in neutral spirit of agricultural origin. The drink is dark brown, clear, dry and slightly bitter, with a clear coffee taste. Its strength is 15 to 25% ABV.
Protected name. The name was registered under Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 in the group 'other spirit drinks'. Although it is locally called a liqueur, the EU has no separate category for it; today Regulation (EU) 2019/787 applies. The name is managed by the Regulatory Council of Traditional Spirit Drinks of Alicante, which also oversees anís Paloma. The bottle carries a conformity mark with a code.
Production. Any arabica from any country may be used, but 'torrefacto' coffee, roasted with sugar, is forbidden. Maceration lasts at least nine days, and at least ten days must pass from its start to bottling. Caramel E150 is allowed for colour; aromatic extracts and essences are forbidden. The place of bottling is not restricted.
History. The first documented mention dates from 1844. Alcoy was the centre of the region's industrial revolution: weavers used brass flasks of coffee and, when it was cold, added a little cane spirit, rum or brandy. The chilled mixture took on a special taste, sellers appeared near the factories, and later came industrial production. The drink is closely tied to the 'Moors and Christians' festivities in Alcoy.
Why this matters to you. Here coffee provides only the flavour: this is an alcoholic drink of up to 25% ABV, and you should not drive after it. On the label, look for the exact name 'Aperitivo Café de Alcoy' and the council's mark, because 'café licor' without them can be any coffee drink. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| EU category | other spirit drink (no separate category); EU geographical indication |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2019/787; GI technical file, Ares(2016)699510 |
| Raw material | naturally roasted Coffea arabica, neutral spirit of agricultural origin, water; caramel E150 for colour |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 15 to 25% vol. |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Aperitivo Café de Alcoy → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Wine label
- Made from
- ☕ Coffee
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs
- Related to
- 📍 Alicante
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Coffee liqueur, 🥃 Herbero de la Sierra de Mariola
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Alcoy's coffee aperitif energises and warms you up?
No. That is how the habit of 19th-century weavers was explained, but it is an alcoholic drink at 15–25% ABV. Health claims on drinks above 1.2% vol. are banned in the EU, and you should not drive after it.
Is Aperitivo Café de Alcoy a liqueur?
Locally it is called 'café licor', but the GI is registered in the EU group 'other spirit drinks', not in a liqueur category. Its strength is 15–25% vol.
Which coffee is used for Aperitivo Café de Alcoy?
Naturally roasted arabica of any variety and origin. 'Torrefacto' coffee, roasted with sugar, is forbidden, as are aromatic extracts and essences.
How do people drink the coffee aperitif in Alcoy?
The technical file describes it neat, with soda water as an aperitif, and in local mixes: with cola ('plis play'), lemon granita ('mentira'), beer ('negreta') or orxata ('pingüino').
How long does the coffee maceration take?
At least nine days. At least ten days must pass from the start of maceration to bottling.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Wine label — The sticker on a bottle: who made it, where from, the year and strength.
- 🥃 Coffee liqueur — Sweet liqueur made from spirit, coffee infusion and sugar; in the EU at least 15% ABV and 100 g/l sugar; well-known brands are Kahlúa and Tia Maria.
- 🥃 Herbero de la Sierra de Mariola — A Spanish herbal anise drink with an EU protected name: at least four plants from the Sierra de Mariola mountains in Alicante province, macerated or distilled with spirit; 22–40% ABV.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Cantueso Alicantino · 🥃 Masticha of Chios · 🥃 Genepì della Valle d'Aosta · 🥃 Chiemseer Klosterlikör · 🥃 Genepì del Piemonte · 🥃 Bayerischer Blutwurz
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- eAmbrosia (EU GI register), technical file: Fiche technique de l'IG 'Aperitivo Café de Alcoy', Ref. Ares(2016)699510 (other spirit drinks; naturally roasted Coffea arabica macerated in neutral agricultural alcohol; 15–25 % vol.; torrefacto coffee and flavouring extracts forbidden; caramel E150 a–d allowed; maceration min. 9 days, bottling not before day 10; province of Alicante; first record 1844; Moros y Cristianos)
- Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex III as at 31.01.2020 (legislation.gov.uk): Italy — Aprikot trentino/Aprikot del Trentino (9. Fruit spirit); Spain — Anís Paloma Monforte del Cid (25. Aniseed-flavoured spirit drinks), Aperitivo Café de Alcoy (Other spirit drinks)
- Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (Spain): Datos de las bebidas espirituosas con Indicación Geográfica 2022 (Madrid, 2023) — 19 Spanish spirit GIs; Comunitat Valenciana: Anís Paloma Monforte del Cid, Aperitivo Café de Alcoy, Cantueso Alicantino, Herbero de la Sierra de Mariola
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks, Annex I: cat. 9 fruit spirit (only fruit, distilled < 86 %, min. 37.5 %, no added alcohol, not flavoured), cat. 25 aniseed-flavoured spirit drink (min. 15 %); Chapter III — geographical indications
- Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 on nutrition and health claims, Art. 4(3): no health claims on beverages over 1.2 % vol.
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)