Ginsberg and Figueroa’s Cafecito—named after the classic Cuban coffee serve, which consists of espresso and sugar whipped together to yield a distinctive layer of crema—highlights the natural affinity between Cognac and coffee in an unexpected way. They recommend using larger ice cubes or chunks of ice to shake the drink to better stand up to the fresh shot of hot espresso and minimize the risk of overdilution. The final flourish, a dusting of dark cocoa powder, is intended to evoke the experience of an espresso-soaked tiramisu.
Cafecito
Harrison Ginsberg and Chris Figueroa | New York
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces Rémy Martin 1738 Accord Royal
- 3/4 ounce cream sherry
- 1/2 ounce almond orgeat (see Editor’s Note), or use high-quality commercial orgeat
- 1 ounce fresh espresso, preferably Ethiopian coffee
- 5 dashes saline solution (see Editor’s Note)
- 2 dashes Mexican mole bitters
Garnish: sifted dark cocoa powder
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing tin and shake with ice.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass.
- Garnish with dark cocoa powder sifted through a powdered sugar shaker.
Editor's Note
Almond Orgeat
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup bitter almonds
2 cups water
2 cups cane sugar
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
DIRECTIONS
1. Place the almonds on a sheet pan and toast in a 350°F oven until slightly golden brown, taking care not to burn.
2. Soak the toasted almonds in water for 12 hours.
3. Thoroughly blend the soaked almonds, and strain through a fine-mesh strainer, super bag or 100-micron nut bag, squeezing to extract the milk.
4. To a pot, add equal parts sugar to almond milk along with the orange blossom water. Heat on a low simmer until all sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, then let sit for 10 minutes, then skim off any film that forms on top and discard.
5. Bottle and refrigerate for up to two weeks.
Saline Solution
Combine 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 1 /2 ounces water in a bitters-style dasher bottle. Agitate to fully dissolve salt. Label and store for use.