Liqueur Coffee liqueur 16% ABV

Kahlúa Original

Veracruz, Mexico

Coffee extract, neutral spirit and a lot of sugar at 16%. About 390 g/L, so the sugar load per pour is among the highest of any liqueur.

Ingredients / botanicals: Neutral spirit, Coffee extract, Sugar

Hangover index

6/10

Heavy

vs. category average 7/10

Chemistry profile

Congeners: Low
Histamines: Low
Polyphenols: Low
Sulfites: Low
Tannins: Low
Sugar: Very High
Additives: Moderate

Per 1.5oz serving

Calories: 108
Sugar: 17.3g

5.6g ethanol at 16% ABV. 39 from alcohol, 69 from carbohydrate.

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In its favor

✓Low strength for a liqueur
✓Coffee extract is the flavour source

What to watch

!390 g/L of sugar, near the top of the liqueur range
!Most of its calories come from sugar rather than alcohol

Factor by factor

Congeners Low

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Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.

Histamines Low

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Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.

Polyphenols Low

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Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.

Sulfites Low

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Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.

Tannins Low

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Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.

Sugar Very High

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Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.

Additives Moderate

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Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.

Kahlúa is coffee extract, spirit and sugar, and the sugar is the dominant term at about 390 g/L. That is 17.3g in a 1.5oz pour, and the derived total is about 108 calories, roughly two thirds of them from sugar rather than ethanol.

The figures here are for the 16% bottling that kahlua.com and Vinmonopolet publish. Some retailers list a 20% Original, which would carry more alcohol per pour.