Columbus, Ohio coffee roaster Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea has introduced a new way to get caffeinated on hot summer days – coffee cocktails. Available in chamomile, lavender and pure cane sugar varieties at the Crimson Cup Coffee Houses in Upper Arlington and Clintonville, these nonalcoholic cocktails combine the roaster’s signature Nitro cold brew coffee with half-and-half and subtle flavors.
“We developed our coffee cocktails to mimic a gin fizz,” said drink creator Brandon Bir, who handles coffee sourcing and education for Crimson Cup. “One of my favorite components of this traditional cocktail is the egg white. It adds a creamy body to the entire drink, while also creating a cloud of airy goodness on the top.”
Bir used half and half to mimic the egg-white effect and create a layer of foam on top. “We shake up the cocktail until the half and half creates tiny stable air bubbles – or, for the science geeks, until emulsification occurs,” Bir explained. “We then pour our beverage into custom glassware, where it settles into two layers.”
Summer cocktail flavors include lavender, chamomile and pure cane sugar. “The flavors are subtle, and the combinations work really well together,” Bir said.
He first tasted lavender in coffee while competing for America’s Best Espresso in New York City in 2013. A 2008 World Barista Championship signature drink recipe became the inspiration for the chamomile cocktail, and he used simple syrup to add a hint of sweetness to the pure cane sugar cocktail.
