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 1940s by Dr. Kenneth Leigh Evans, who began to produce and market it.

From this day forward Tia Maria has been a favourite for coffee liqueurs lovers the world over and it was even used in the very first Espresso Martini recipe over forty years ago.