Worksmith’s latest creation is Grada Coffee + Spirit. Made with a base of single-farm hot brewed coffee that is fortified with Australian grain spirit, this coffee-first liquid sits as a premium sippable liqueur but can be shaken over ice to produce espresso martinis.
Grada’s story is grounded with Worksmith’s hospitality staff, who were in deep R&D for the past two years. As well as developing batched cocktails for venues, they also run a small coffee company, Stella, that sources green beans from unique producers around the world and roasts them in Melbourne.
With great beans, led by Tim Varney, Stella’s founder, and a unique grasp on flavour in booze, Darren Leaney, the team began work on a coffee-first espresso martini that puts single producers at the heart of the liquid.
It was an 18-month journey with plenty of versions discarded along the way. Now ready to share, Grada’s real distinction is the proprietary hot-extraction technique perfected by Varney and Leaney. It ensures an extraction that cold brew can’t, resulting in a product with more complex flavours and, importantly, giving the espresso martini a beautiful frothy head.
All the coffee beans come from one farm – Fazenda Progresso in Bahia, Brazil, farmed by the Borré family. This traceable, exceptionally processed coffee is what gives Grada its notes of rum and raisin, butterscotch, and chocolate.
Leaney says, “Grada is a liquid we are incredibly proud to have created. It’s complex, innovative, and most importantly, delicious. Looking to the past, present and future for inspiration and techniques allowed us to create a liquid that belies the complexity of incredible single-farm coffee. A coffee liqueur that’s led by coffee and also doubles as an espresso martini; what’s not to love?”
“Grada is a testament to our relentless pursuit of crafting liquid experiences that transcend boundaries. With Grada, we’ve merged passion with innovation to redefine how we savour both coffee and spirits.”
Grada’s Coffee + Spirit transcends the ordinary, offering complex aromatics and a unique flavour profile. This meticulously curated blend, influenced by terroir, variety, and process, sets it apart from mundane coffee liqueurs. When shaken over ice and served without any additives, it morphs into the perfect espresso martini— harmoniously balancing the nuances of coffee’s character, sweetness, bitterness, aromatics, and a subtle savoury undertone.
