Join the Edible Collective and you’ll be joining the Edible Community. The Collective is made up of the people who make what we eat and drink.
The Collective‘s goal is to create a culture of collaboration up and down the food and drink chain. Think of it as a roundtable where bartenders, chefs, makers and farmers share ideas, education, enlighten and enhance skills.
The Espresso Martini was developed in the U.K. by bartender Dick Bradsell back in the vodka-soaked ’80s—something that could get you drunk, but wake you up at the same time. It’s a format that’s been played with quite a bit over the years, in drinks like the Negroni Coffee Swizzle at Dante that features mezcal and cold brew, and right now there are a few brand-new ones on menus that you should definitely check out. Here, the five coffee cocktails you’ll want to sip this summer.
Bar LunÀtico‘s Oaxacan Cold Brew, Cold Brew Mai Tai and Toro Loco
Bar manager Cameron Holmes uses cold brew in many of his drinks, which makes sense: The space does double-duty as a coffee shop during the day. That’s when you can sip on the non-alcoholic Cold Brew Mai Tai instead of your usual plain one for a much more exciting pick-me-up; it features orgeat, acid-adjusted orange juice, lime juice and a mint bouquet.
“The classic mai tai is one of my favorite drinks, and I’ve also been really interested in the interaction of citrus and coffee components,” Holmes tells us. “Orgeat is an almond syrup, and a great way to add creamy qualities that complement coffee without using dairy.”
That Oaxacan Cold Brew is pretty irresistible, too. “Another drink I keep coming back to is the Brave Bull—think Black Russian with tequila instead of vodka,” Holmes explains. “This variation uses a housemade spice syrup and cold brew made with beans by the incredible George Howell Coffee roasters rather than Kahlua, with just a quarter ounce of cream for viscosity. We often make this with almond milk instead of cream for non-dairy folks. It’s proving very popular at our weekly Gospel Brunch.”
As for that Toro Loco, which is now an off-the-menu order, it comes with crunchy, protein-packed garnish: “A winter seasonal that I will personally continue to enjoy year-round, we mix a lesser-known Mexican spirit—sotol—with some excellent California-made cold brew coffee & brandy liqueur, finished with a little créme de cacao and a chili salt rim. We offer fried crickets, or chapulines, as a highly recommended mezcal pairing, and one adorns this drink as well.”
Bar Moga‘s Woman in the Dunes
Natasha Torres made this for us during a Facebook Live session at the brand-new, woman-centered bar. This cocktail is an ode to the late Sasha Petraske, who trained many of the bartenders working at that spot—an espresso martini without vodka, which Petraske didn’t carry at his bars. It combines barley shochu, coffee liqueur, iron amaro, toasted almond and heavy cream.
East One Coffee Roaster‘s Cold Brew Cocktail
This one brings together East One Cold Brew, El Dorado 5-year Rum, orange and soda for a cocktail that’s utterly summery and refreshing, with a hit of bitterness from the cold brew that makes it all grown up.
