Long before Norse Code became England’s Best Coffee Liqueur at the World Drinks Awards, the foundations of the project were being shaped through years of competition-level coffee experience, extraction theory and sensory analysis.
At the centre of that journey is Gordon Howell — UK Brewers Cup Champion and UK Coffee in Good Spirits Champion — whose background in speciality coffee competition helped define the philosophy behind Norse Code from the very beginning.
Why Competition Coffee Matters
Coffee competitions are not simply about brewing great coffee.
At the highest level, they demand a deep understanding of:
- extraction balance
- sweetness perception
- mouthfeel
- clarity
- aroma
- texture
- origin characteristics
- water chemistry
- sensory evaluation
The smallest changes in brew temperature, grind size, mineral content or extraction yield can dramatically alter the final cup.
That level of precision changes the way coffee professionals think about flavour.
And ultimately, it changes the way coffee should work in cocktails too.
The Problem With Traditional Coffee Liqueurs
Many traditional coffee liqueurs were never designed around modern speciality coffee principles.
Instead, they were often built around:
- heavy sweetness
- flavouring-led profiles
- darker roasted commodity coffee
- syrup-heavy texture
While those profiles helped create recognisable coffee cocktails, they can also overpower espresso, mute coffee character and create an overly sweet Espresso Martini.
As speciality coffee evolved, cocktails evolved too.
Bartenders and coffee professionals increasingly wanted:
- more balance
- greater coffee clarity
- cleaner texture
- less sugar
- more authentic coffee flavour
That shift became one of the driving forces behind Norse Code.
Building A Coffee Liqueur Around Extraction & Balance
Rather than simply creating another sweet coffee liqueur, Norse Code was developed to behave more like a carefully extracted coffee beverage inside a cocktail.
The project focused heavily on:
- coffee clarity
- sweetness balance
- integration with espresso
- texture in cocktails
- aromatic preservation
- mouthfeel without excessive sugar
This eventually led to the development of Norse Code’s cold-filter brew process — a method designed to preserve authentic coffee character while reducing bitterness, heaviness and muddied flavour.
The result is a more balanced and coffee-led profile designed specifically for modern coffee cocktails and Espresso Martinis.
Why Espresso Martinis Need Better Coffee Liqueur
The Espresso Martini has become one of the world’s most popular modern cocktails, but the coffee liqueur itself is often overlooked.
In reality, the liqueur controls much of the cocktail’s:
- sweetness
- body
- texture
- integration
- coffee persistence
- finish
Fresh espresso alone cannot create balance.
The role of the coffee liqueur is what determines whether an Espresso Martini feels:
- clean or cloying
- balanced or overly sweet
- refined or heavy
Competition coffee experience helped shape Norse Code to perform differently in this environment.
The goal was never simply to taste strongly of coffee.
The goal was to create a coffee liqueur capable of producing better Espresso Martinis.
A More Coffee-Led Approach
Norse Code was built around the belief that coffee should remain the focus of the drinking experience.
That means:
- speciality-grade coffee
- careful extraction
- balanced sweetness
- refined texture
- modern cocktail performance
rather than relying on excessive sugar or artificial intensity.
This approach has increasingly resonated with bartenders, coffee professionals and cocktail venues looking for a more refined and modern coffee liqueur.
From Competition Coffee To England’s Best Coffee Liqueur
Years of coffee competition experience ultimately helped shape the flavour philosophy behind Norse Code — one focused on balance, clarity and authentic coffee character.
That journey led to Norse Code being recognised as England’s Best Coffee Liqueur 2026 at the World Drinks Awards.
But for the team behind Norse Code, the goal remains the same: to continue pushing what modern coffee liqueur can become.
Less sugary. More balanced. More coffee-led. And ultimately, better suited to exceptional cocktails.
Gordon Howell’s competition coffee background has previously been featured by the yorkpress.co.uk during earlier stages of his speciality coffee competition journey.