Coffee and alcohol.

These are the two drinks going into my mouth, between hefty doses of water. (Hydration is critical.)

So I am pleased to meet Mr. Black, a cold-drip coffee liqueur produced in Australia. This liqueur combines the best flavors of coffee with a fine Australian grain spirit.

Mr. Black was created by Tom Baker and distiller Philip Moore, who took great care in developing a process to create this spirit. This process includes in-house roasting of coffee beans sourced from Ethiopia, Brazil and Papua New Guinea, and cold-drip steps to produce a full-flavored coffee sans the bitterness. And then, of course, there’s the addition of a pure grain spirit straight from Down Under.

Leave it to the Australians to master the coffee liqueur. Mr. Black won a gold medal in the 2012 International Wine and Spirits Competition, and it tastes beautiful both neat and in cocktails. It’s also the perfect liqueur for crafting an impressive espresso martini.

Mr. Black is my friend. Is he yours?