There were a lot of syrups at Coffee Fest; let’s talk about them!
As a bonus (and a tl;dr), I’ll have a list of syrups I recommend you switch to/consider.
This one will be short!
No news, no new cafés—Just a spotlight, coffee fest, and a recipe.
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This week’s coffee shop spotlight!
Frisson Espresso
Frisson Espresso is a quaint little shop tucked away in a series of brownstones. It’s easy to forget you’re not in Boston looking for “dirty water” [a pizza shop] or Johnny Cupcakes [which sells t-shirts].
Luckily, I’m in NYC looking for coffee.
Frisson espresso had two amazing baristas, who were willing to entertain me when I asked for a double seahorse.
I’m talking about latte art, of course.
Here’s the photos of the drinks we got (and, for context, my double seahorse was made in this cup, which is tiny).
From top left to bottom right, double seahorse, tulip with leaves, seahorse, stewie.
It was great! I’d like to sit in there for a little while again. Something about the long spot with the quiet ambiance and everything-is-a-stool seating really makes it an approachable place to chat with friends.
Check it out!
Break time!
If you’re taking a break from this, maybe you shouldn’t go back to doing work.
I know it’s efficient, going back and forth between “work work” and “relaxing work”, but you should go outside for a little bit.
Take your water and remember that the sun is happy to see you.
And now…
Coffee Fest Part 2: Syrups
Torani’s Galaxy Syrup
Torani created a syrup that’s the taste of the galaxy!
Someone “did some research” and decided that raspberries and rum are the galaxy’s flavor. Hooray!
I tried a concoction with this syrup at the Coffee Fest, and I will say it was pretty delicious.
I think it can fit a niche of “not too much raspberry” with light caramelly flavors rounding it out. If you’ve gone to a shop offering a Valentine’s day drink this year, like me, you might’ve had a raspberry drink that kind of tastes like those chocolates you avoid in the “I’m not telling you what anything is” chocolate heart boxes—this isn’t that.
Proper Syrup
If you’re looking to replace your basics, give Proper Syrup a try. They have a list of flavors here.
Roj Syrups
Roj Syrups were probably my favorite of the bunch. If you’re looking for:
interesting flavors
seasonal drinks with no effort
Get yourself Roj syrups.
I got to try their Geisha cascara syrup, which just means “really fancy coffee’s fruit pulp syrup”. It essentially makes a delicious soda at very little effort, and you can mix it with coffee for a delightful blend of flavors.
I also tried their coconut, and honestly, amazing.
They’ve also got green apple, blue curaçao, dragonfruit, kiwi, limoncello, tamarind, and more (including all your basics).
I also liked them because they create the syrups in Guatamala using local ingredients, and really care about quality and responsibility to the land and the farmers. Plus, they were great to talk to.
I reached out for a blurb from them; we’ll probably have more soon.
Monin
Of course Monin is doing something.
At the festival, they had Ube syrup.
Great, but I like Ube paste a little more. And, if you’re in New York, you have to compete with people using real ube and compete with how easy it is for your customers to just go to Grace Street in Ktown instead.
Spice ‘n’ Nice
Spice ‘n’ Nice, not really a syrup, is a powder you can pretty much do anything with. You can put the powder in a cup and mix the espresso in, like a syrup, or you can put the powder directly in the puck with the coffee grounds.
You can bake with it, mix it with soda, eat the powder straight, whatever!
I like them a lot because (1) they’re awesome and (2) their lavender is a light, subtle lavender and not the harsh/bitter lavender available in a lot of places here.
That’s all I got today!
The Recipe Section
A poor man’s yuzu latte…
Meaning to say you don’t have to put care into this recipe for it to be interesting and good.
Cafè Citron
Citron tea is a common jam-like thing often found in Korean houses and used when they’re feeling sick. Also, it’s just a nice winter drink.
So the recipe is easy and forgiving. Just like making meringues (…)!
Ingredients
A large spoon of citron tea, you can be generous.
A doubleshot of espresso, preferably something fruity instead of chocolatey.
A can of grapefruit, orange, citron/yuzu, or pineapple sparkling water, whatever you can find [or seltzer non-flavored water]. I used peach Waterloo®.
For the recipe
Mix the citron into the espresso at the bottom of a glass
Fill it up with the sparkling water until the glass is full, ice is optional
Stir
Drink, and drink slowly. It will be an interesting trip.
Thanks for tuning in!
Enjoy your coffee!