Built by one of Britain’s leading coffee experts.
NORSE CODE was developed with Gordon Howell, UK Brewers Cup Champion, UK Coffee in Good Spirits Champion and co-founder of Coffee Spirit Co.
Gordon’s role is central to how NORSE CODE approaches coffee selection, extraction, sweetness, texture and cocktail performance. That expertise is why we start with the coffee rather than treating it simply as another flavour in a liqueur.
Competition coffee experience applied to coffee liqueur.
Gordon’s achievements matter because NORSE CODE depends on the same disciplines that define high-level coffee: extraction, flavour clarity, balance, sensory accuracy and drink structure.
Speciality coffee, brewing, hospitality, training, judging, equipment development and coffee-led product creation.
National champion in brewing skill, extraction control, sensory quality and coffee presentation.
Champion in the coffee competition most directly connected to coffee, alcohol and drink balance.
3rd at World Coffee in Good Spirits and 7th at World Brewers Cup.
Coffee expertise changes how a coffee liqueur performs.
Coffee liqueur is easy to make sweet. It is much harder to make balanced. Gordon’s background helps NORSE CODE focus on the parts that matter when the bottle is actually used in cocktails.
Extraction clarity
Controlled coffee extraction helps preserve aroma, structure and real brewed coffee character.
Sweetness balance
Sugar supports the coffee and the cocktail rather than becoming the main flavour.
Cocktail performance
Different serves demand different levels of strength, body, texture and balance — from Espresso Martinis to Baby Guinness and batch cocktails.
Champion, trainer, judge, coffee shop operator and brewing innovator.
20+ years — speciality coffee and hospitality
Experience across coffee shop operations, brewing, service, training, judging, product development and professional coffee standards.
Harlequin Coffee House and The Attic, York
As co-owner of Harlequin Coffee House and The Attic, Gordon helped build coffee environments where brewing standards, training, hospitality and competition culture mattered.
2013 — UK Coffee in Good Spirits Champion
Gordon won the UK Coffee in Good Spirits title, a competition built around speciality coffee, alcohol, flavour balance and drink creation.
2013 — World Coffee in Good Spirits 3rd Place
Represented the UK internationally and achieved 3rd place in the world.
2015 — UK Brewers Cup Champion
Won the UK Brewers Cup, a competition focused on brewing accuracy, sensory clarity, coffee quality and presentation.
2015 — World Brewers Cup 7th Place
Represented the UK at the World Brewers Cup Championship and finished 7th internationally.
Tone Brewing Equipment and KODE Brewing Gear
Continuing work in brewing equipment, extraction control and coffee innovation strengthens the technical foundation behind NORSE CODE.
Today — NORSE CODE coffee lead
Gordon applies this experience to coffee selection, Cold-Filter Brew extraction, flavour balance, texture and cocktail performance.
NORSE CODE is coffee-first.
Many coffee liqueurs are built around sweetness and broad coffee flavour. NORSE CODE starts somewhere else: with real brewed coffee, controlled extraction and the question of how that coffee performs in the glass.
That means the process is not simply about adding coffee flavour to alcohol. It is about protecting coffee character through brewing, blending, dilution, sweetness and cocktail use.
Gordon’s expertise extends beyond competition.
Alongside competition, training, judging and coffee shop ownership, Gordon has been involved in coffee brewing equipment development through Tone Brewing Equipment and KODE Brewing Gear.
That matters because NORSE CODE is built around extraction. Coffee liqueur depends on decisions familiar to serious coffee professionals: brew quality, bitterness control, sweetness, dilution, mouthfeel and repeatability.
Different profiles for different serves.
HEL ABOVE
At 22% ABV, HEL ABOVE has a brighter, cleaner and more structured profile. It is particularly suited to Espresso Martinis and coffee-forward cocktails where strength, clarity and coffee character are important.
HEL BELOW
At 16% ABV, HEL BELOW brings greater body, texture and rounded sweetness. It works beautifully in richer Espresso Martinis and modern coffee cocktails, while its greater density makes it particularly suited to Baby Guinness and layered serves.
EX-01
The Exceptional Series uses rare coffee releases to explore what coffee liqueur can become when coffee selection, roasting, brewing and spirit are treated with equal care.
“Coffee liqueur should be treated as a coffee product as much as a spirits product. The coffee has to be brewed, balanced and protected properly, or the cocktail will always be compromised.”
Gordon Howell and NORSE CODE.
Who is Gordon Howell?
Gordon Howell is the co-founder and coffee lead behind NORSE CODE. His background spans more than 20 years in speciality coffee, brewing, training, judging, coffee competition, coffee shop ownership, hospitality and brewing equipment development.
What coffee competitions has Gordon Howell won?
Gordon Howell is a UK Brewers Cup Champion and UK Coffee in Good Spirits Champion. He also placed 3rd at the 2013 World Coffee in Good Spirits Championship and 7th at the 2015 World Brewers Cup.
Why is Coffee in Good Spirits relevant to NORSE CODE?
Coffee in Good Spirits combines speciality coffee with alcoholic drink creation. That makes it directly relevant to coffee liqueur, where extraction, sweetness, spirit integration and cocktail performance all matter.
What is Gordon Howell’s role in NORSE CODE?
Gordon helps shape the coffee side of NORSE CODE, including coffee selection, extraction, balance, flavour structure, texture and cocktail performance.
Why does coffee expertise matter in coffee liqueur?
Coffee liqueur depends on extraction, sweetness, bitterness, alcohol balance and how the product behaves in cocktails. Specialist coffee knowledge improves those decisions.
Built by coffee people for better cocktail serves.
Discover HEL ABOVE, HEL BELOW and the limited releases shaped by NORSE CODE’s coffee-first approach.