GLORIOUSLY OPULENT (Tia Maria)

Member Name: indigojade

Product:	Tia Maria
Date:	20/06/01 (212 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: rich smooth texture and colour, tastes good with mixers or on its own, no hangover

Disadvantages: too tempting

The taste of Tia Maria should never be forgotten, like marmite you either love it or hate it. I most definitely fall into the former category!

This gloriously opulent drink has a romantic and dark beginning as the colour of the drink itself.

Its history can be traced back some 300 years, to the Caribbean Island of Jamaica. In the midst of the colonial wars in the 17th century a Spanish noblewoman, (beautiful of course) was forced to leave her home. Amidst the chaos and confusion of the flight the maid had just time to grab the noblewoman’s most treasured possessions, contained within a treasure box. Inside were a pair of black pearl earrings and a family recipe for some cordial. Such was the noblewoman’s gratitude that these things had been rescued she named the cordial after her maid ‘Tia Maria’

This fabulous history, along with the drink became know to Dr Kenneth Leigh Evans in 1940. He was attending a dinner party and was given ‘Tia Maria’ to drink. He fell in love with the drink and being a gourmet and scientist persuaded the family to market the drink.

Tia Maria is actually made from coffee beans grown in the foothills of the Blue Mountain peak range in Jamaica. On its own Blue Mountain Coffee is beautiful (when you can get hold of it) – but when made into Tia Maria tastes even better!

Along with the coffee beans, which are cracked not ground, Vanillin and citric acid and water are added.

There are numerous ways to drink Tia Maria; either on its own poured over ice, with coke or with brandy. These are three of my favourites.

No matter what you add to Tia Maria you can still taste the rich vanilla/coffee flavour. There is little taste of alcohol, and no sharp or strong aftertaste with Tia Maria, best of all there is NEVER a hangover after drinking it.

This rich dark spirit comes in an opulent bottle that is pleasantly shaped, having gold bands around
the bilk of the bottle and a rich and brown label and red top. It smacks more of Arabian nights than of Jamaica, but a rich indulgent beautiful drink none the less.

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