Luxury tequila brand Patrón discontinued its XO Cafe expression in 2021, much to the chagrin of the many devoted fans of this tequila-based coffee liqueur. But on April 1, the brand announced that XO Cafe was coming back—and no, this was definitely not an April Fool’s joke.
At the time, Mauricio Vergara, Patrón‘s president and chief operating officer, told The Grocer that the decision to end XO Cafe was based on the Bacardi-owned brand shifting its focus to “growing and protecting production and supply of our core super and ultra-premium tequilas.” That did not assuage the hard-core fans, however, and some even went so far as to create a Change.org petition to try to convince Patrón to reverse course. Over the years, bottles of XO Cafe could still be found, but for upwards of $100 on the secondary market. Other brands tried to fill the void: Tequila Cazadores released Cazadores Cafe; Cantera Negra released its own Cafe coffee liqueur. But none of these were really met with the odd, singular devotion that XO Cafe commanded.
Now this key Espresso Martini ingredient is back and available at all Happy Harry’s locations. According to the brand, there are only two ingredients used to create XO Cafe: Patrón Silver Tequila and Arabica coffee beans sourced from the Mexican states of Veracruz and Chiapas, the former said to provide intense toasted flavor and the latter delicate acidic notes. Official tasting notes for XO Cafe describe fresh coffee, vanilla, chocolate, and light tequila on the palate, with an overall dry character instead of the sweetness you might expect. In addition to being used in an Espresso Martini or other cocktails, XO Cafe is meant to be sipped or even poured over your favorite dessert.
Patrón Espresso Martini
1.5 oz of Vodka
1 oz of Patrón XO Cafe
1 oz of Espresso Coffee
1 dash of Simple Syrup
1. Chill your martini glass with ice.
2.Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
3.Pour gently the mix into martini glass using a strainer.
4.Garnish with the coffee bean.
Cheers!
