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Starbucks has launched a coffee liqueur which is the company's first alcoholic beverage.

The liqueur will be sold at bars, restaurants, and liquor stores, but not at Starbucks coffee shops.

"Extending our brand into new channels outside of Starbucks stores is part of our long-term growth strategy," said Jim Donald, Starbucks CEO designate. "The test market phase of this new product rollout confirmed what we already knew -- Starbucks coffee lovers want this product."

A Forbes article points out: "This isn't the first time Starbucks has branched out to market products outside of its usual offerings. In 1995, the company teamed with Dreyer's Grand Ice Cream to introduce Starbucks Coffee Ice Cream. In 1996, the company - through a joint venture with Pepsi-Cola Co. - introduced bottled Starbucks Frappuccino coffee drink.

Profit from these kinds of ventures has been steadily increasing throughout the past year. During the fiscal first quarter, Starbucks reported income from equity investees - how it categorizes such sales in its earnings report - rose to $12.9 million from $10 million last year. The company reported total net income of $144.9 million for the quarter."

Starbucks Coffee Liqueur will be distributed by Jim Beam's parent company, Fortune Brands.

Drink responsibly.

Chris is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.