I use this recipe only I use 1 cup of instant coffee to save my self time and energy! I have done the recipe both ways and it is good both ways! Also I add a cup of light Karo syrup! It adds a bit more thickness to it! One tip and a good one....make sure you cool the Kahlua COMPLETELY before adding your vanilla and your Everclear! If not it will evaporate your alcohol!!!

I have been making this exact recipe for many many years and my friends and family Love love love it! Ain't Christmas without it! ENJOY and Merry Christmas to ALL!

Based on distillers dilution calculators this recipe will produce a liquor with only ~16% abv. The second water addition should be omitted and the sugar added directly to the hot coffee in order to keep the abv at about 33%.

This made a very tasty Kahlua - I'm very happy with the outcome. I found an organic Mexican Chiapas coffee on Amazon (whole bean - I ground it fresh) and used raw (turbinado) sugar to compliment the earthiness of the coffee; the outcome was syrupy but not overly sweet, as I suspect it would have been if I had used white/refined sugar. Everclear - at least in California - is not marketed over 151 proof, so I used that, which I am certain made this stronger than the store-bought Kahlua, which is 20% alcohol or 40 proof. Do not heed the suggestion above to omit the "second water addition," as your finished product would be a ridiculously strong thick syrup with a cloying taste of coffee grounds and grain alcohol. Kahlua is a coffee liquor, not a vodka substitute, so 16% ABV is a perfectly fine level...and I suspect it's actually much higher using even Everclear 151. The level of success should be in the taste, and following the ratios in this recipe resulted in a successfully tasteful concoction for me.

This makes a great basic kahlua that tastes better than store bought. Jason's calculations are off as it seems he calculates raw ingredients rather than finished yield. The listed yield at 5 750ml bottles is accurate. There is liquid loss in the coffee grounds and cooking down the syrup. Using 191 proof Everclear makes a simple calculation. 95/5 = 19 percent alcohol which is comparable to store bought. No need to make it stronger. It is excellent.