The San Francisco World Spirits Competition winners were announced in the first week of May and in the category of coffee liqueurs that won a gold medal, was South Africa’s Amarula, produced locally by Distell International. It made the cut along with twenty-four other African brands like Three Ships Whisky, Vusa Vodka and Geometric Cape Dry Gin.
Ethiopian Coffee is renowned for its fruity, complex and floral flavours and is the coffee that’s used in the Amarula Ethiopian Coffee Cream Liqueur. What makes Amarula so special is that it’s made from marula fruit which only grows in the miombo woodlands of Southern Africa. Once a year in summer when the scent of ripe marula fills the air, elephants raise their trunks to get a taste of the sweet flesh. This is nature’s cue to begin the marula harvest.
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition website states gold is awarded to “Exceptional spirits that are near the pinnacle of achievement; these products set the standard for their categories.”
Amarula fans will know that the best way to enjoy the creamy delicious drink is to pour it chilled over crushed ice as a dessert cocktail. But there’s nothing stopping you from cooking with it too! Food24 features some drool-worthy recipes containing Amarula, like this Amarula and white chocolate cheesecake.
Disclaimer: Amarula is a partner of Food24 but this piece is unpaid as our team believe it has editorial value for our readers.