Tia Maria dates back to the mid-17th century, when a beautiful young Spanish aristocrat fled the turmoil colonial war brought to the island of Jamaica. Her maid saved one family treasure, a small jewellery box with black pearl earrings and an ancient manuscript with the recipe for a mysterious liqueur. The recipe was named after the courageous woman. Tia Maria was born.
The recipe lay dormant for many years before being rediscovered in the 1950s by a man, Dr. Kenneth Leigh Evans, who began to produce and market it. From this day forward Tia Maria has been a favourite for coffee cocktail lovers the world over and it was even used in the very first Espresso Martini recipe over forty years ago.
