This story is underwritten by Peace Coffee.
In the last couple of years, baristas in these parts have been getting crazy with the Cheez Whiz. OK, maybe not Cheez Whiz, but in the Twin Cities’ best coffee shops, you can find drinks with additions like fresh herbs, horchata, root beer extract, sriracha, and gin bitters. These unconventional and (generally) tasty concoctions highlight coffee’s versatility — the brewed bean plays surprisingly well with ingredients that seemingly have no business in a cuppa Joe.
This spirit of experimentation inspired us to organize a cold press lab with the generous underwriting of Peace Coffee. We spent an evening at their roastery unscientifically testing recipes — with the grilling season upon us and the sweltering days of summer just ahead, we decided to focus our energies on the cold stuff.
Along with several of our writers and a couple of photographers, our crew included two highly skilled coffee chemists: Jackson O’Brien, head barista at Peace Coffee’s Wonderland location, and Andy Johnson, Peace alum and current barista at Five Watt.
At the appointed hour, we gathered at Peace Coffee’s new tasting and cupping lab and training room, loaded down with enough ingredients to fill a modestly sized wheelbarrow. Our bounty included everything from marshmallow fluff, savory and sweet herbs, liquid smoke, and sodas from around the world to mango chutney, maple syrup, spicy peppers, an assortment of bitters, and fruit. Yes, it included a durian — a large, roundish, thorny fruit that’s so pungent that at least one country (Singapore) bans it on buses and in public buildings. We procured this wide range of mix-ins because we wanted to explore new (at least to us) flavor and texture combinations — and who doesn’t like slamming a durian on the concrete and stepping on it until the yellowy custard seeps from its thick skin? Great for caffeine-induced aggression!
We had but one rule: the drinks had to taste like coffee. This rule was rather easy to follow because we used Peace’s bottled cold press made from a rich, bold blend aptly named yeti. Given our funky ingredients and free-flowing process, it shouldn’t be a surprise that we produced many, many duds … and a very full dump bucket. On the other hand, we really did think pennywort soda (which tastes of freshly mowed lawn and dirt) would blend well with cold press concentrate. We were wrong.
Through trial, a great deal of error, and even more laughter, we developed a solid lineup of drinks. Without further delay, here are the recipes (aka estimations scribbled with shaky hands after consuming way too much caffeine). We very much encourage readers to add in the comments section recipes for their own refreshing summer coffee creations. Each recipe makes one drink.
Huma Cereza
Andy Johnson
This dairy-free concoction tastes of vanilla ice cream, smoked hickory, and chocolate cherries. It brings out the wow!
4 ounces cold press concentrate
2 ounces water
½ ounce vanilla simple syrup
2 drops liquid smoke
2 full droppers cherry-bark bitters
5 drops xocolatl mole bitters
Halved cherries
Ice
1. Combine ingredients (except mole bitters and cherries) in shaker. Shake and pour into glass.
2. Place 5 drops of mole bitters on top.
3. Garnish drink with halved cherries, and swirl in froth for added color and flavor.
The Firewalker
Joshua Page
A refreshing, subtly sweet drink with creeping heat. Molasses brings out the tamarind flavor without overpowering the cold press. Orange juice and peel add brightness.
3 ounces cold press concentrate
⅓ fresh habanero pepper
½ bottle Jarritos tamarind soda
1 teaspoon molasses
1 tablespoon orange juice
Orange peel
Ice
1. Chop habanero and mix with 3 ounces Jarritos. Let sit for 7 to 10 minutes. Strain out peppers.
2. Mix molasses with 1 ounce Jarritos. Set aside.
3. Combine pepper and molasses mixtures with cold press and orange juice. Pour over ice.
4. Rub orange peel on rim of glass, and add peel to the drink.
The Java Nut
James Norton
The mellow, earthy flavors of roasted coconut and cold press coffee join forces to create a mellow, nutty base. Cardamom-coriander bitters provide pizzazz.
3 ounces roasted coconut juice (available at United Noodles)
3 ounces cold press concentrate
2 ounces half-and-half
3 drops cardamom-coriander bitters
Ice
1. Combine ingredients in a shaker. Shake and pour.
Nashville Slammer
Jackson O’Brien
Basil gives a light and fresh tone to the cold press (they play off each other in much the same way chocolate and mint do). Lime and sparkling water add brightness.
4 ounces cold press concentrate
4 ounces sparkling water
1 tablespoon simple syrup
4 large basil leaves
1 lime wedge
Ice
1. Tear basil leaves and muddle with simple syrup until leaves are wilted.
2. Add cold press and sparkling water.
3. Pour mixture over ice; squeeze in lime wedge and stir.
The Holy Hand Grenade
Ted Held
Sweet basil gives the cold press a light, herbal aroma, and the pineapple adds fruitiness and tartness.
3 ounces cold press concentrate
1 tablespoon simple syrup
2 cubes pineapple
2 basil leaves plus 1 sprig
Ice
1. Tear basil leaves, and muddle pineapple with simple syrup.
2. Add cold press and ice.
3. Garnish with a sprig of basil.
Durian Shake
Becca Dilley
The durian and coffee support each other with their earthy notes. Horchata’s dusty-but-sweet flavor melds with and moderates the funky kick of the durian, giving the drink a pleasantly sweet edge. The mint garnish masks the smell of the durian.
2 tablespoons durian (available frozen at United Noodles)
1 ounce cold press concentrate
1 ounce milk
1 tablespoon Klass horchata drink mix
Sprig of mint
Ice
1. Combine ingredients (except mint) in shaker. Shake, and pour into glass.
2. Garnish with mint.