Allen's Coffee Brandy is a coffee-flavoured liqueur popular in New England, especially Maine, where it has been the best-selling liquor product every year for over 20 years. Sales in 2008 were 1,100,000 bottles. With a population of 1,300,000, Mainers consumed nearly one bottle for every man, woman, and child in the state. Allen's has been called both "the champagne of Maine" and "an epidemic."
Contents
Allen's Coffee Brandy is prepared and bottled by M.S. Walker, Inc. of Somerville, Massachusetts. The beverage is 60 proof and is available in several bottle sizes. Gary Shaw, vice president of M.S. Walker, has noted that his company ships "a phenomenal amount" of brandy to Maine each month.
Uses
Allen's Coffee Brandy is typically served in a drink consisting of equal parts brandy and milk, over ice, in a pint glass. This has been given many names within Maine, the most common being a "sombrero". Also among them are "Allen's and milk", "a milk drink", "a brandy", or "an Allen's." Allen's Coffee Brandy can also be mixed with another Maine staple, Moxie, to make the "Burnt Trailer".
Legality
Allen's came into some legal question when the United States placed a ban on caffeinated alcoholic beverages. However, with a significantly lower caffeine content, produced by the coffee flavorings and not added intentionally as with Four Loko and the other alcoholic energy drinks targeted by the ban, Allen's Coffee Brandy is still legal to sell.