But, after February 14th passes and discarded valentines begin to overflow from trashcans, what remains of this sacred month of amour?
Kahlua. That's right. National Kahlua Day falls on February 27th.
Kahlua (or, “Kahlúa” if you want to sound sexy) is a coffee-flavored, rum-based liqueur from Mexico that contains a buttload of sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla bean flavoring.
It was first produced in 1936, and its name means “the house of the Acolhua people” in Nahuatl, an indigenous dialect similar to the Aztec language.
But, who are the Acolhua people? With a quick Google search, you can discover that the Acolhua people were pretty cool. Beyond the fact that their culture's name oddly sounds like the word “alcohol,” this Mesoamerican culture arrived to the Valley of Mexico around 1200 C.E. and lived alongside their allies, the Aztecs.
After the Acolhua people entered the Aztec Triple Alliance—which just sounds badass—their capitol city of Texcoco evolved into a thriving center.
As a part of the Aztec Empire, the Acolhua people spent centuries waging war, practicing an intricate polytheistic religion, and performing human sacrifices until Spanish conquistadors rolled into town, obliterated their way of life, and transformed their cultural identity into a popular liqueur brand. Excellent.
Today Kahlua is a key ingredient in a myriad of dessert cocktails, including the B-52, Baby Guinness, White Russian, Mudslide, and Spanish Coffee.
So, stop by The Hangar on the 27th for a delicious Kahlua mixed shot in posterity of the Acolhua culture!