When brothers Jose and Andres Larin set out to create Estate 98 Licor de Café Especial, they weren’t just launching a new coffee liqueur—they were bottling generations of family history, which runs deep in El Salvador.
Their story begins on the slopes of two volcanoes in El Salvador—Santa Ana and Izalco — where their earliest memories are of mornings on the coffee farm: the sound of birds, the scent of ripe cherries, and the rhythm of harvest days. “My brother and I grew up there,” he says. “Some of my earliest memories as a human were on that farm; riding horses, playing hide-and-seek between mountains of coffee, watching the workers who lived there and became part of our extended family.”
It was turning the pandemic that the brothers really started thinking about how to honor their family legacy, while moving into a new space. With the popularity of the espresso martini and their roots in the coffee industry, it was almost too good to pass up the opportunity to extend the roots that had already been firmly planted. And Estate 98 was born.
While working with family can be tricky, Larin enjoys working alongside his brother. And each of them bring their own dynamic to the project, Larin says. He explains that he is more of the visionary; connecting ideas, creating experiences, and shaping the brand’s identity. Jose, he says, is the operations mastermind; steady, patient, and level-headed, ensuring every detail is executed flawlessly.
“There’s no one else I would want to work with,” Larin says. “This company wouldn’t exist without him. We both just wanted to create something that resonated with us, that we were passionate about, while also spending more time together at the end of the day.”
Together, they’ve transformed a family legacy into a modern coffee liqueur—low in sugar, full of character, and perfect for sipping, mixing, or celebrating. Estate 98 is a tribute to roots, craft, and the unique bond between two brothers who share a vision.
But Estate 98 isn’t just another coffee brand. It’s the family’s first foray into the world of spirits—a small-batch coffee liqueur designed to bring the purity of their beans into the glass. “We wanted to create something that honored our heritage, but also spoke to what people actually want to drink right now—real flavor, natural ingredients and minimal sugar,” he explains.
In a market dominated by syrupy coffee liqueurs, Estate 98 lets the coffee shine. Made with 100% single-estate, honey-processed coffee—a technique that leaves the mucilage of the coffee cherry intact during fermentation, deepening its chocolate and fruit notes—it’s rich, aromatic, and balanced. The result is a liqueur that’s smooth enough to sip neat or chilled, yet concentrated enough to anchor cocktails. While it’s smooth enough to shake and pour over ice for easy sipping, it also creates a perfect espresso martini without the need for a fresh espresso pull—a gift to home entertainers and bartenders alike.
“Espresso Martinis are one of the most requested cocktails right now,” Larin says, “but they’re also one of the hardest to make in a busy bar. With our product, you just shake it on ice, and it naturally creates that perfect foam layer, no espresso machine needed.”
Ultimately, Estate 98 is more than a bottle—it’s a bridge between family, place, and palate. “We didn’t just want to build a business,” he says. “We wanted to share the story of El Salvador—the land, the people, the craftsmanship—and make something that feels authentic and alive.”
Estate 98 is now available in 45 states.