Valencia coffee at True Black
Valencia orange affogato
Mithilesh Vazalwar of Corridor Seven coffee roasters
It is 2023 and if you are still sipping age old drinks in summer, you have a lot to catch up on. Take a tea break, and grab your coffee with ice cubes, fruit juice and a bit of soda and join the colder version of the coffee bandwagon.
No, I am not recommending the traditional cold coffee, but the ones with fruit juices and coffee sangrias. Still not sure how this is possible? Read on…
Suhas Dwarkanath of Benki Brewing Tools demystifies the difference between iced coffee and cold brews. He explains, “Coffee brewed overnight in cold water is cold brew. Iced coffee is coffee shot over loads of ice cubes that give it a diluted taste. Cold brews with fruit juice — what we call a coffee mocktail in FnB parlance — is a cold brew mixed with a proportion of fresh or canned fruit juice. Coffee mocktails are gaining in popularity as they appeal to a broader taste palate.
Coffee Sangria
Speciality coffee can seem quite intimidating what with all the coffee jargon on flavour profile, the estate it is sourced from and whatnot, which also makes coffee virgins shy away from the beverage. In such a scenario, the mocktail culture gives baristas and coffee lovers opportunities to enhance existing coffee notes by including different types of fruit juices and compotes.”
Not merely a cold coffee
Don’t want a cold brew? Never mind, you can use a double espresso shot instead. “Coffee mocktails or flavoured cold brews are all about coffee with a fruity flavour, with or without fizz,” adds Suhas. Cold brews, coffee lovers say, are versatile and can be customised by adding flavoured syrups, different kinds of milk and creamers. When making one at home, all one needs is to experiment with the measurements, juices of your choice and a garnish for a presentation that makes it look like a fun coffee beverage which is not just a loaded cold coffee.
Cold brew with coconut water
Pointing to cold brews as a global trend, Hyderabad-based Rohit Rao of True Black (TB) Speciality Coffee at Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad says, “For the cafe crowd, cold brews are a better drink to nurse as they work or chat. Unlike drinking a hot coffee, there is no rush to finish it at a certain temperature. ”
While TB’s cold coffee vanilla creme and Valencia orange coffee are the most popular drinks, Rohit says that at home, one can experiment with cardamom or rose milk for an iced latte. Rohit is also experimenting coffee and orange juice as a dessert. “The Valenica orange affogato (coffee, orange juice with ice cream) is gaining a lot of popularity with valencia coffee fans,” he added
When experimenting with juices in coffee, the sky is the limit. At least that is what Hyderabad-based homebrewer and coffee aficionado Bharath Suthapalli says. He experimented a cold brew with a thick chamomile tea decoction, sugarcane juice with ginger and lemon with an espresso shot. Reason: “I love coffee, I love ganne ka ras (sugarcane juice )with ginger, so I mixed them both. After all, recipes are a successful outcome of an experiment with ingredients.” If that is Bharath’s favourite, Naina Polavarapu of The Last House Coffee near Durgam Cheruvu in Hyderabad says cold brew and tonic with Elderflower and a cold brew martini are the summer best sellers at her Robusta speciality cafe.
Versatile, social
In 2022, Nagpur-based Mithilesh Vazalwar of Corridor Seven coffee roasters won the National Barista Championship with a coffee he made with sous vide of orange juice and strawberry withdemerara sugar. “I feel cold brews and coffee mocktails have become a global trend because they allow a lot of people to enjoy a drink without having to sip alcohol. When mixologists met coffee at the bar, the drama and garnishes gave coffee a different platform.
Coffee mocktails do not just get an upper hand only for the taste, but also their presentation . There is a scope to play with the contrasting hues of various juices with a cold brew. Hyderabad-based Nishant Sinha of Roastery Coffee House India says Roastery’s best-seller, the Cranberry coffee, has a secret. “We add a bit of plain fizzy water, which completely changes the drink. Even without the fizz, cranberry and coffee is a wonderful combination. If one is experimenting at home, don’t hold back. Try a coffee sangria as well. I also suggest you try an apple cider coffee and coffee with fresh mosambi (sweet lime) juice. At our New Delhi outlet, we have also introduced cold brew with fresh coconut water, which is selling very well.
If fruit juice and fruits are too mainstream, go for a bone broth cold brew with a dash of coconut oil. Internet is bursting with this recipe suggestion as a keto drink.
.jpg "Payal’s multi-tasking jewels")
