Move over espresso martini! Spring is nearly here and there's a more refreshing, caffeinated cocktail coming to town.
Alright, we suppose that the iconic espresso martini is an all-season cocktail, but cold brew coffee is a great mix for a drink too. This clever cocktail recipe comes courtesy of Evelyn Chick's book For The Love of Cocktails, a great reference for any home bartender looking to up their skill level and overall drink knowledge.
"This cocktail is a take on a coffee and tonic. It's a drink that was made popular in Europe in the early 2000s, but here we're adding some added floral and bitter notes. Although it only contains four ingredients, the flavours—from floral to savory to bitter—are truly integrated and the balance of something bitter and bright is the exact reason why this cocktail can be both a digestif and an aperitif," explains Evelyn Chick in her cocktail book.
The Ready, Set, Play cocktail
11/2 oz Lavender-infused Bianco Vermouth
1/2 oz Cynar
1 1/2 oz cold brew coffee (see tip at end of recipe)
3 oz premium dry tonic
Lavender sprig, for garnish
In a 10-oz Collins glass, combine all ingredients, but the tonic and lavender sprig.
Fill glass with ice and stir with a bar spoon for 10–15 seconds, until well chilled.
Add more ice and top with tonic.
Garnish with the lavender sprig and serve.
Evelyn Chick's cold brew coffee tip: For the cold brew coffee in this recipe, any store-bought kind will work, but if you wish to make your own, I would recommend doing a 4:1 water to coffee beans ratio. Take 1 cup of coffee beans and grind on the coarse setting. Combine ground coffee and 4 cups filtered water in a large container with a lid. Let sit in the refrigerator for 12 hours. Use a cheesecloth or coffee filter on a colander to strain out the grounds the next day. (Pour through again if necessary.) Serve cold and keep the remainder refrigerated.
- Yield:
- 1 cocktail
