Coffee Wines, Sherries, and/or Meads

Chocolate Macadamia Nut Coffee Wine

June 13, 2022
  • 8 ozs freshly ground chocolate macadamia nut coffee
  • 2-1/2 lbs dark brown sugar
  • 1-1/2 tsp acid blend
  • 1/4 tsp tannin
  • 7-1/2 pts water
  • 1 tsp yeast nutrient
  • Sauterne or general purpose wine yeast
Pour water in a pot and put it on to boil. Stir in sugar until dissolved. When sugar is completely dissolved, stir coffee into water and wait until it just returns to a boil. Remove from heat, cover and allow to cool to room temperature. To a sanitized secondary, combine the acid blend, tannin and yeast nutrient. Using a large funnel, strain coffee through double layer of muslin into the secondary, discarding the grounds. Add activated yeast and cover mouth of secondary with napkin held in place with rubber band. Stir every 2 hours until fermentation is evident. When fermentation is vigorous, attach an airlock. Rack three times, 60 days apart, topping up and refitting airlock each time. If desired dry, rack into bottles. If desired sweet or semi-sweet, stabilize with 1/2 teaspoon potassium sorbate and a finely crushed Campden tablet, sweeten to taste, wait 30 days, and if no re-fermentation has started rack into bottles. [Jack Keller’s own recipe]

Praline Coffee Dessert Wine

January 13, 2012
  • 4 25-oz bottle Savannah Mixes Southern Praline Mix
  • 15 lbs dark brown sugar (SG to 1.130)
  • 4 lbs Fresh Ground Coffee
  • 6.5 tsp acid blend
  • 5 tsp yeast nutrient
  • 5 crushed Campden tablets
  • 30 pts water
  • 1 sachet EC-1118 wine yeast

Cold brew coffee in 30 pints of water for 3 days (should have a good medium to strong coffee flavor), strain coffee through double layer of muslin into the primary and discard the grounds. Add Savannah Mixes Southern Praline Mix, and sugar, stirring until dissolved and SG is at or slightly above 1.130. Add acid blend, yeast nutrient and crushed Campden tablets. Stir well, cover the primary and set aside 24 hours. Add activated yeast and recover primary. Stir daily for 14 days, then transfer into secondary and attach airlock. After 30 days, rack into clean secondary, top up and refit airlock. Wait additional month and rack, top up and again refit airlock. Repeat as needed until clear. Stabilize, sweeten to desired taste and set aside 30 days to make sure fermentation has ceased. Rack gently into bottles. [Recipe by Roger King, edited by Jack Keller]

Coffee Wine (1)

April 5, 2001
  • 1/2 lb freshly ground coffee
  • 2-1/2 lbs dark brown sugar
  • 1-1/2 tsp citric acid
  • 1/4 tsp tannin
  • 71/2 pts water
  • 1 tsp yeast nutrient
  • Sauterne wine yeast

Pour water in pot and put on to boil. Stir in sugar until dissolved. When sugar is completely dissolved, stir coffee into water and wait until it boils. Remove from heat, cover and allow to cool. To a sanitized secondary, combine citric acid, tannin and yeast nutrient. Strain coffee through double layer of muslin into secondary, discarding the grounds. Add activated yeast and cover mouth of secondary with napkin held in place with rubber band. When fermentation is vigorous, fit airlock. Rack three times, 60 days apart, topping up and refitting airlock each time. If desired dry, rack into bottles. If desired sweet or semi-sweet, stabilize, sweeten to taste, wait 10 days, and rack into bottles. [Recipe adapted from Leo Zanelli’s Home Winemaking from A to Z ]

Coffee Wine (2)

April 5, 2001
  • 1-1/4 cup instant mocha coffee
  • 2-1/2 lbs light brown sugar
  • 1-1/2 tsp citric acid
  • 1/4 tsp tannin
  • 7 pts water
  • 1 tsp yeast nutrient
  • Pasteur Red or Côte des Blancs wine yeast

Pour water in pot and put on to boil. Stir in sugar until dissolved. When sugar is completely dissolved, stir instant mocha mix into water. When water boils, remove from heat, cover and allow to cool. When at room temperature, stir in citric acid, tannin and yeast nutrient. Transfer to secondary, add activated yeast and cover mouth of secondary with napkin held in place with rubber band. When fermentation is vigorous, fit airlock. Rack three times, 60 days apart, topping up and refitting airlock each time. If desired dry, rack into bottles. If desired sweet or semi-sweet, stabilize, sweeten to taste, wait 10 days, and rack into bottles. [Author’s own recipe]