US – illy coffee and creativity pair well at Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & Wine

NEW YORK – Coffee shines as a key ingredient at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival presented by FOOD & WINE, October 16th – 19th courtesy of illy, which is offering foodies an opportunity to try unique coffee cocktails in collaboration with Casamigos Tequila and Blue Moon Cinnamon Horchata Ale and secret steak rub using illy from Chef Bryan Voltaggio.
Illy, a sponsor of the festival’s marquee events, was inspired by select themes including Meatopia X: The Carniovre’s Ball presented by Creekstone Farms hosted by Michael Symon, CASAMIGOS Tequila presents Tacos & Tequila sponsored by Mohegan Sun hosted by Bobby Flay, Blue Moon Burger Bash presented by Pat LaFrieda Meats hosted by Rachael Ray, Jets & Chefs: The Ultimate Tailgate hosted by Joe Namath and Mario Batali, and Ronzoni’s La sagra Slices hosted by Bongiovi Brand Pasta Sauces & Adam Richman presented by Time Out New York. Beyond creating illy’s espresso and cappuccino coffees, the cocktail creations provide a unique opportunity for food lovers to experience the brand and be creatively inspired through coffee.
“Coffee opens up new possibilities for crafting cocktails because similar to other foods, coffee can take on unique flavor profiles depending on the origin of the bean and preparation method,” said Master Barista Giorgio Milos. “A coffee cocktail also has appeal because patrons wanting a caffeinated spirits drink traditionally didn’t have ingredient options except for soda or energy drink which mixologists prefer not to use.”
As a tool for mixologists experimenting with coffee, illy’s Sensory Lab in Trieste, Italy, developed a reference guide for mixing coffee, spirits and seasonal ingredients. Illy encourages coffee enthusiasts to get inspired and celebrate fall’s flavors using the mixology chart, found here: http://on.fb.me/1yzqKKH. Coffee cocktails can be submitted via twitter @illyUSA or @giorgio_milos #illyinspires for a chance to be featured on illy’s recipe page.
Beyond Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival, coffee mixology is finding a fan base with cocktail crafters and the broader culinary world. To follow the conversation and trends surrounding coffee cocktail culture, go to Master Barista Giorgio Milos’ blog MasterBarista.Tumblr.com.
For more coffee mixology, visit illy’s recipe page: http://bit.ly/1vRUJKi.
For tickets to Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival: www.nycwff.org 100% of the net proceeds from the Festival benefit the nation’s leading hunger-relief organizations Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry campaign and Food Bank For New York City