This Coffee Mai Tai Is the Cold Brew Cocktail You Need
Forget about Bloody Marys and mimosas—you should have a Mai Tai at brunch. But instead of a few shots of rum before noon, an innovative cocktail uses cold brew coffee and tropical flavors for a delightful new way to caffeinate.
VHH Foods, a waterfront café with a seasonal menu and a robust coffee program in Brooklyn, is changing the way we think about flavored java. They're making a "Coffee Mai Tai" with coconut-almond milk, nutty-floral orgeat syrup (a key ingredient in many tiki drinks that's basically almond simple syrup), orange zest, and Tandem Coffee Roasters' cold brew for a refreshing, citrusy way to start your day. The first sip hits you with a floral orange blossom—that's the orgeat coming through—then makes way for silky coconutty coffee with a sweet-salty balance. It's similar in flavor profile to Keepers Citrus Coffee Soda, but creamier and without any carbonation. The floral intensity takes a little getting used to, but since it's served with a giant cold brew concentrate ice cube, the drink gets more caffeinated and coffee-forward as it melts.
Instead of a mug, the "Mai Tai" is served in a blue-and-green speckled melamine bowl that you have to cup with two hands, and topped with two bright edible flowers like marigolds or pansies. They're delicate and infinitely Instagrammable.
Sam Anderson, beverage director at Mission Chinese Food and consultant at VHH, created this and two other drinks to mimic a classic cocktail menu. In addition to this summer hit, they also make a coffee egg cream modeled after an Italian café con panna (espresso topped with whipped cream). Their version, explains VHH coffee beverage director Grace Lowman, uses an egg yolk-vanilla-cream mixture topped with lemon zest and Aleppo pepper for a rich-yet-bright spicy drink that people will still want to consume on a hot day.
Also in the rotation is a cascara vermouth, made to mimic the flavor profile of a Negroni. Cascara, aka the outer husk of the coffee cherry, is steeped like tea and mixed with lemon, cardamom, cinnamon, honey, and a tincture of herbs (bitter Gentian—which is a main ingredient in Campari—chamomile, lavender, and marjoram). The result is a mildly effervescent, lightly citrusy beverage that has layers of sweet and savory flavors. "It's got a strong golden raisin note, or something in the dried fruit category," Lowman adds.
Out of the three "next wave coffees" that VHH sells, the easiest to make is the Mai Tai. Combine a 48 oz. bottle of Califia Farms toasted coconut almondmilk (or another coconut-almond blend you like) with 4 oz. of orgeat syrup, ¼ a clove of nutmeg, the zest of ¾ of an orange, and a pinch of salt. Let it sit overnight, strain it, and then add 8 oz. of the milk mixture to 2 oz. of cold brew. You definitely want to make cold brew ice cubes—VHH makes giant ones in silicone trays"—so the drink gets stronger rather than diluting as you drink. Add up to a lei's worth of edible flowers for garnish.
If this is "next wave coffee," we can't imagine what will be in "next next wave." Ashwagandha affogatos? Piña colada cortadas? In that one, paper umbrellas are not optional.
