COLUMBUS, Ohio U.S. – To celebrate the advent of long, sunny days, the menu at the Crimson Cup brew bar is going light and tropical. Starting Friday, April 21, new drinks including Cascara Tea Soda, Citrus Rose Cocktail, Honey Cardamom Latte, Lavender Mocha and Colombia Inga Aponte Honey Craft Cold Brew will freshen up the menu at Crimson Cup Coffee Houses in Clintonville and Upper Arlington.
“Our beverage development team members at the Innovation Lab and coffee houses have outdone themselves with these new spring beverages,” said Founder and President Greg Ubert. “We encourage Columbus, Ohio coffee lovers to stop in and try one of these refreshing new beverages, which will be on the menu for a couple of months while supplies – and demand – last.”
Cascara is a unique drink at the intersection of coffee and tea. Cascara, which means “husk,” “peel” or “skin” in Spanish, is made from the dried skins of coffee cherries. These pulped skins are collected after the coffee beans have been removed and then dried in the sun.
“One of the great things about cascara is that it offers a new use for the cherry peels, which are traditionally a byproduct of coffee production,” said Brandon Bir, sustainability and education director. “It has the potential to create a new source of revenue for coffee farmers, who remain among the world’s poorer farmers despite growing what is consistently the number-one cash crop.”
Steeped in water, cascara produces a fruity beverage with notes of rose hip, hibiscus, cherry, red current or mango. Although derived from the coffee tree, cascara packs a much softer caffeine punch than coffee.
Crimson Cup’s Cascara Tea Soda combines this new beverage with white pomegranate tea and a mix of exotic spices to produce a light, refreshing beverage with subtle and complex flavors that linger on the tongue. A regular-size soda sells for $4.25.
The nonalcoholic Citrus Rose Cocktail starts off with Crimson Cup’s Nitro Cold Brew, which is infused with nitrogen gas under pressure and dispensed from a tap to produce a frothy beverage with the mouth feel of a fine milk stout. Crushed flowers, white pomegranate tea, orange bitters and a honey compound add sweetness and exotic flavor notes. Served in a tulip glass, a regular-size cocktail sells for $4.75.
Using Crimson Cup’s award-winning Ethiopian Kossa Kebena coffee as a base, Lavender Mocha adds fresh lavender syrup, a dash of cocoa powder, and foaming milk to create a mouthwatering spring treat. A regular-size mocha sells for $4.25.
Honey cardamom latte combines a shot of Ethiopian Kossa Kebena espresso with honey and cardamom, an ancient aromatic spice often featured in Indian cuisine. A regular-size latte sells for $4.25.
Colombia Inga Aponte Honey Craft Cold Brew is made from Caturra varietal coffee beans grown at elevations averaging 7,000 feet by descendants of the ancient, pre-Hispanic Incas. This elevation, combined with the nearby Galeras Volcano’s nutrient-rich ash, makes for an exceptionally complex and sweet coffee. A regular-size cold brew sells for $3.75.
Columbus coffee lovers can experience these limited-edition drinks, while supplies last, at Crimson Cup Coffee Houses at 4541 North High Street in Clintonville and 2468 Northwest Boulevard in Upper Arlington.
