spring cold coffee bevs
One of my favorite things about working in the coffee industry is coming up with FUN DRINKS. I absolutely adore getting creative with seasonal flavors and have been getting really heavy into fresh spring flavors this month. All of these iced coffee drinks are made with a concentrate from Kavnia. If you’re local to Chicago you can now get it delivered by bike! You can make your own cold coffee concentrate by brewing hot coffee with half the amount of water and pouring it over ice to immediately cool it down. I really like making these drinks with concentrate because the flavors don’t get diluted!
I’m not the type of person that likes to write a novel before presenting a recipe, but this first one kind of deserves some background. I’m lucky enough to live in a place that is teaming with blueberry plants. I’m surrounded by hundreds of wild blueberry bushes, and tend to a field of 40 low bush blueberries! When spring hit I had to prune and baby all of the plants to get ready for this years (hopefully bountiful) harvest. So my first seasonal drink features blueberry jam.
The second drink is my interpretation of a mazagran- a refreshing drink originating in Algeria with tons of different versions served around the world. This drink is said to be the “original iced coffee” and is traditionally made with espresso! Don’t be afraid of combining the different flavors of lemonade and iced coffee- they work SO well together.
THE BLUEBERRY OAT JAM
1-2 Tbsp blueberry Jam
4 oz concentrated iced coffee
4 oz oat milk
ice
Add your blueberry jam to the bottom of your glass and top with your cold coffee concentrate. Give it a little stir. I like to incorporate some into the mix but also leave a nice fruit-on-the-bottom layer. Top off with a handful of ice and pour in your creamy oat milk.
Maybe toss in a few fresh blueberries for a garnish or add some coconut whipped cream if you want to really go the extra mile.
THE DAUGHTER OF MAZAGRAN
1 lemon, juice 1/2 and slice 1/2 into rounds
1-2 Tbsp simple syrup
4 oz concentrated iced coffee
2-4 oz sparkling water
ice
This drink can be customized to be as sweet or tart as you like- think of it as a coffee lemonade (with a hint of bubbles). Combine simple syrup, coffee concentrate, fresh lemon juice, and sparkling water in a cup with ice. Top with a lemon slice and enjoy in the sunshine of Spring.