I've been trying to find the Millstone Chocolate Velvet coffee but am having no luck (not even on Amazon or eBay). I'll keep looking, but in the meantime, what's the best substitute?

Also, my state doesn't sell real EverClear. (Nor do any of the easily accessible surrounding states. *sigh*) I can get the 151-proof stuff though. Will that be sufficient? Is there a conversion or recipe that factors in the diminished alcohol content?

Thanks for any help!

Valerie - Thank you for an easy and great-tasting recipe.

I used grain alcohol, and Millstone Chocolate Velvet ground coffee ordered from Amazon. I wanted to experiment with ingredient proportions, so scaled the recipe down to make one 750ml bottle. This also allows the recipe to be scaled up proportionately for any size bottle/batch. Here's what you'll need for one bottle:

Grain Alcohol: 200ml
Vanilla: 1 Tbsp
Water: 565ml
Millstone Chocolate Velvet ground coffee: 9 Level Tbsp
Dark Brown Sugar: 15 Level Tbsp

Soak the coffee grounds in the water overnight, then pour through a coffee filter (slow process). Add 1/2 cup filtered coffee to sugar; heat just until fully dissolved; allow to cool. Add grain alcohol, vanilla and brown sugar mixture to a 750ml bottle and top off with remaining filtered coffee. Leave room in the bottle neck so you can shake the bottle to mix everything up before serving.

Clear Springs or Ever Clear is the way to go for ALL homemade liqueurs. I can buy flavored Vodka. Have been making this for a few years now, and it is the best. Only advice I can give is make it as per the recipe. Do not add or subtract it is perfect as is.

Has anyone tried using tequila in place of the vodka or grain alcohol?

I use instant coffee add a little chocolate extract. The longer it sits the better it is.

I got confused and used two 750 mls of Everclear to the twelve cups strong chocolate flavored coffee and 2lbs light brown sugar and it is fabulous after a little ageing. LOVE this!!

Very easy, very good. Did not have chocolate flavoured coffee, so I added a tbsp. cocoa, worked great!

Very helpful recipe and comments. Could someone please advise how much vodka "Absolute 40%" can be used as a substitute to everclear? And also if I have vanilla extract and beans, which is better to use and how many vanilla beans to be used in this recipe?

Many thanks.

Someone has taken my spaghetti pot. This recipe is probably why!

Cant wait to try this recipe but only using brown sugar here! By the way, Splenda is absolutely horrible for you! If you must use a sugar substitute, try Stevia!

Has anyone ever used the Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla bean paste for the vanilla extract?

Hey peeps, while you are making your own Kahlua for gifts why not be more sustainable & reuse bottles you already have? Keeps the cost down too!!!

Great recipe, made batch last winter and again today. I increase coffee to 18 pot cups. For the batch today, I used 1/3 chocolate coffee and 2/3 dark french roast. Turned out great! I make mine with the everclear (Oregon). Thanks for the recipe!

You can get EVERCLEAR IN RHODE ISLAND LIQUOR AND SPIRIT STORES

I learned this recipe in the early 1990's and you need to use Taster's Choice Freeze-Dried coffee, regular white sugar, pure vanilla extract, and Clear Spring or Everclear 190 proof alcohol. You need to put several gallons of water in a large pot, like a lobster pot, boil the freeze-dried coffee and sugar in the water for a few hours, let it cool completely, then add the vanilla and 1-2 bottles of the Clear Spring, depending on how much alcohol you want for your Kahlua. Then it's ready to bottle and drink.