Yorkshire Coffee Liqueur

Why Yorkshire Matters

Yorkshire has a strong independent food and drink culture, shaped by brewing, roasting, hospitality, farming, restaurants, bars and specialist producers.

NORSE CODE grew from that same independent spirit: practical, flavour-focused and built around quality rather than category convention.

For us, Yorkshire is not just a location claim. It is part of how the product was developed.

• Independent drinks thinking.
• Speciality coffee knowledge.
• Small-batch production.
• Practical cocktail performance.
• A refusal to settle for coffee liqueur that tastes mostly of sugar.

Founded in York, Inspired by the City’s History

Coffee Spirit Co was founded in York, a city with deep connections to coffee, hospitality, independent drinks and Norse heritage.

The NORSE CODE name reflects York’s Viking history, while the liquid itself is shaped by modern coffee expertise.

That connection is personal too. Gordon Howell continues to brew coffee in York, overlooking King’s Square at Harlequin Coffee House — close to one of the city’s most historically significant Norse locations.

This gives NORSE CODE a real sense of place: York heritage, Yorkshire production and coffee knowledge working together.

Yorkshire Made, Coffee First

Most coffee liqueurs begin with alcohol, sweetness and a broad coffee flavour profile.

NORSE CODE begins with coffee.

Using our Cold-Filter Brew method, we focus on preserving brewed coffee character, reducing harsh bitterness and building liqueurs that work properly in real serves.

The goal is simple: coffee liqueur that tastes more like coffee and performs better in the glass.

Created by Award-Winning Coffee Professionals

At the heart of NORSE CODE is co-founder Gordon Howell, one of the UK’s most accomplished coffee professionals.

Gordon’s background includes UK Brewers Cup Champion, UK Coffee in Good Spirits Champion, World Coffee in Good Spirits 3rd place and World Brewers Cup 7th place.

That experience matters because coffee liqueur depends on extraction, sensory balance, sweetness, bitterness, texture and cocktail use.

NORSE CODE was developed from a coffee-first perspective: not “how much coffee flavour can we add?”, but “how do we preserve real coffee character in a finished liqueur?”

Award-Winning Yorkshire Coffee Liqueur

NORSE CODE has been recognised across respected drinks competitions, helping establish the range as one of the UK’s most awarded coffee liqueur producers.

Hel Above vs Hel Below

NORSE CODE includes two distinct Yorkshire coffee liqueurs designed for different serves.

Yorkshire Coffee Liqueur for Espresso Martinis

A great Espresso Martini needs more than vodka and espresso. The coffee liqueur controls much of the drink’s sweetness, body, texture, foam support and finish.

Hel Above was developed specifically for Espresso Martinis and modern coffee cocktails, with 22% ABV structure and real coffee depth.

It is the clearest choice when you want a brighter, stronger and more coffee-forward cocktail profile.

Yorkshire Coffee Liqueur for Baby Guinness

Hel Below is the richer 16% ABV expression, designed for Baby Guinness shots, layered serves and smoother coffee cocktails.

Its density, body and sweetness help create clean layering beneath cream liqueur while maintaining a genuine coffee-led finish.

For venues and home drinkers making Baby Guinness shots, Hel Below is the strongest fit in the NORSE CODE range.

A Yorkshire Alternative to Mainstream Coffee Liqueurs

Many drinkers first discover coffee liqueur through mainstream brands such as Kahlúa, Tia Maria or Mr Black.

Those brands helped establish the category, but many modern drinkers now want more coffee character, more provenance and better cocktail performance.

NORSE CODE offers a Yorkshire-made alternative built around real coffee, Cold-Filter Brew extraction and coffee expertise.

Yorkshire Coffee Liqueur for Bars and Trade

NORSE CODE is available in 70cl bottles and 4.9 litre trade tubs for bars, restaurants, hotels, events and hospitality groups.

Trade formats are designed for venues serving Espresso Martinis, Baby Guinness shots and coffee cocktails at volume, reducing glass waste and improving speed of service.

For venues that want a better coffee liqueur with a stronger story, NORSE CODE combines Yorkshire provenance, award recognition and practical cocktail performance.

Sustainable Yorkshire Production

Quality and sustainability should work together.

NORSE CODE uses packaging selected with environmental impact in mind, including glass bottles containing at least 70% recycled content and HDPE trade containers containing recycled material.

Small-batch production also helps us refine quality carefully while avoiding unnecessary scale-led waste.

Discover Yorkshire’s Award-Winning Coffee Liqueur

NORSE CODE brings together Yorkshire production, York heritage, speciality coffee expertise and modern cocktail performance.

Crafted in Yorkshire. Built around real coffee. Designed for exceptional cocktails.

Explore More

• Shop Hel Above
• Shop Hel Below
• About Coffee Spirit Co
• Awards & Recognition
• England’s Best Coffee Liqueur
• Cold-Filter Brewed Coffee Liqueur
• Why Only Two People Know The Recipe
• Best Coffee Liqueurs UK
• Ultimate Espresso Martini Guide
• Best Coffee Liqueur for Baby Guinness
• Kahlúa Alternative UK
• Mr Black Alternative UK
• Why Is It Called NORSE CODE?

Frequently Asked Questions