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Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/490399
www.cheersonline.com 35 April 2015 • START WITH THE SPIRIT "Whiskey is an obvious choice to pair with coffee that has caramel and spiced notes—not just in Irish Coffee," says Kenny Cohrs, head bartender at Jax Fish House in Kansas City. Mezcal, tequila and Cognac also work well with coffees, he adds, and vodka is a great way to add alcohol to coffee without changing its fl avor too much. Rum is another good fi t with coffee. Italian restaurant 312 Chicago in the Allegro Hotel offers a riff on Irish Coffee called Caffe Italiano. The drink, priced at $13, combines hot coffee with Appleton Estate rum, Demerara syrup and black walnut bitters topped with Bicerin cream (heavy cream whipped with Bicerin Chocolate liqueur). But spirits with sharp or medicinal fl avor profi les, like gin, can be "tricky if not downright diffi cult to pair with coffee," Cohrs says. It can be done, though. Kate Blackman, who heads up drink recipe development at Parisi Artisan Coffee in Kansas City, created a gin-based coffee drink called the Cafe Negroni. The cocktail incorporated coffee- infused Campari, gin and vermouth, and sold for $7.50 at Parisi's Leawood, KS, location. Blackman starts with a certain spirit she wants to use, or an existing classic cocktail she wants to riff on. CONSIDER DIFFERENT COFFEE FLAVOR PROFILES Bartenders are used to tasting and evaluating spirits, but some experts say you should do the same with specifi c types of coffees. Blackman recommends starting with notebook in hand. "The process often begins when I am trying to 'defi ne' a new coffee," she says. "I take notes about the sweetness, acidity, mouthfeel, fl avor attributes and fi nish," Blackman explains. "Often, one of those attributes sparks an idea for a complementary or contracting ingredient." The Caffe Italiano from 312 Chicago combines hot coffee with Appleton Estate rum, Demerara syrup and black wal- nut bitters topped with Bicerin whipped cream. Chocolate Fish Coffee Roasters in Sacramento, CA, has been experimenting with nitrogenating cold-brew coffee and then pulling it through a nitro tap. C offee drinks are hot year round, and they're not just for dessert anymore. Libations that incorporate coffee can range from warming and decadent in the winter to frosty and refreshing in the summer. As consumers become more sophisticated about spirits and cocktails, many expect to see unique coffee drinks that go beyond the classic Irish or Mexican Coffee. Here are a few tips for creating signature coffee cocktails.