How We Discovered Our Revolutionary Spirit-Infusion Process

We began this grand experiment with using barrels to age the coffee. Not just to make it delicious, but unique and memorable.

New blends, new flavors, new ideas that have never been considered.

We know what good coffee tastes like. And we know the distinct aromas and flavors that can be found in the most popular spirits.

One day, the idea hit us to bring those two tastes together and to create something that we could all enjoy — and enjoy safely, anytime.

We’re not talking about spiking your coffee. That’s been done. We’re talking about enhancing your cup of coffee with the little notes of flavor from a glass of your favorite spirits. No alcohol, so no worries.

It’s true that Fire Dept. Coffee became the first to infuse your cup of coffee with bourbon, tequila, rum, Irish whiskey and more. But it was anything but easy.

We started by aging the coffee beans in used barrels of high-quality bourbon before roasting. Coffee beans are absorbent and can soak up the flavors from their environment. The idea was promising, but the results were inconsistent.

We tested and tested this process and kept experimenting. We tried different barrels and different spirits. We tried different char levels and different moisture contents. The charred wood created a harsh flavor.

We knew that coffee people would scrunch their face. And aficionados of fine spirits would turn up their nose. But we kept at it, kept testing new ideas.

Then we came to our senses. Why not just infuse the spirits directly into the beans before roasting?

It happened fast after that. We’d created delicious coffee without sacrificing the unique, bold and delicious taste of the spirits.

Bourbon-infused coffee was our first success. Tequila and rum followed soon after. Now you can also get Irish whiskey-infused coffee. We’ve featured limited-edition coffees like Black Cherry Bourbon Infused Coffee and Vanilla Bean Bourbon Infused Coffee.

You never know what we’ll infuse next.

Often, we’re asked if our spirit-infused coffees are safe to drink on the job. The answer is absolutely yes. Here’s why.

The alcohol content is removed during the roasting process. It’s similar to cooking with spirits. The alcohol disappears, but what remains are the delicious flavors and aromas that the spirits are known for.

So if you want the smooth taste of bourbon in the morning, go for it. Want to feel like you’re on a Caribbean vacation even in the middle of a long day on the job? Pour yourself some rum-infused coffee.

No guilt. No judging. Just bold, delicious spirit-infused coffee.

Go ahead. Have another.

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