Cult-Hit Patron XO Cafe Finally Returns — While Supplies Last, That Is

(Photo: Patron)

Following years of rabid fanfare, Patron Tequila’s XO Cafe liqueur is finally returning to the market.

In an announcement made on April 1 (though evidently, not an April Fool’s joke), Patron revealed that its cult-hit 35% ABV coffee liqueur will return at an undisclosed date sometime this year. For Cafe devotees, it’s an unexpected triumph.

Patron XO Cafe was initially launched back in 1992. The liqueur’s signature mix of tequila and Arabica bean coffee quickly established it as a fan-favorite and best-seller within Patron’s massive catalog. Eventually, the bottle’s runaway success paved the way for a cocoa-flavored XO Cafe Dark and a chile-infused XO Cafe Incendio.

In 2021, the XO Cafe lineup was unceremoniously discontinued. At the time, Patron Tequila President Mauricio Vergara vaguely indicated that the company was looking to focus “on growing and protecting production and supply of our core super and ultra-premium tequilas.”

Fans wrote tearful obituaries, bottles were snatched up from liquor store shelves and an unsuccessful petition to bring back the liqueur garnered over 4,000 signatures. Meanwhile, the secondary market went ballistic; standard-size bottles of Patron XO Cafe began reselling in the range of $100-$200, up from a mere $35.

Patron XO Cafe became more famous after death than it ever had in life.

In many ways, it couldn’t have been discontinued at a worse time — a little over a year later, the espresso martini craze swept the country. Combined with the ballooning popularity of tequila and craft coffee, the liqueur was sorely missed.

In the absence of XO Cafe, a new generation of spiritual successors stepped up to fill the void. Brands like Costa Tequila and Cazadores each launched their own Cafe alternatives, while Patron co-founder John Paul DeJoria eventually teamed up with his daughters to launch Bandero Cafe in the UK. Others have taken the concept in new directions, such as Quintaliza’s first-of-its-kind “coffee-aged” reposado.

Now, the original liqueur is apparently set for a return. Though neither the price nor the release date has been announced, fans can follow along for updates on the Patron website.

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