Coffee and cocktails came together during London’s Cocktail Week, bringing drinks with Tia Maria liqueur designed by Anette Moldvaer of Square Mile as part of the Tia Maria + Coffee Project.
Last week, Londoners raised a toast to the vibrant and diverse cocktail scene during London’s Cocktail Week. Across the city there were over hundreds of events, tastings, classes, and chances to try a number of different drinks, including a number of drinks designed to be paired with coffee hosted by Tia Maria as part of the Tia Maria + Coffee Project. Tia Maria is a coffee liqueur made up of Arabica beans, vanilla, and Jamaican rum, and for the LCW, Tia Maria partnered up with Anette Moldvaer, co-founder of Square Mile Coffee Roasters in London, to lead workshops and design drinks that pair coffee with liquor.
Coffee cocktails aren’t new, but they are growing in popularity, and bartenders are looking beyond the bar for inspiration. Likewise, coffee houses are turning towards the world of cocktails for drink ideas, notably featured in barista competitions all over the world. Anette and Tia Maria ambassador Rod Eslamieh, worked together to design a menu pairing coffee with Tia Maria liqueur, bridging the gap between the cocktail bar and the coffee bar. œDeveloping the coffee cocktails for LCW with Rod was great fun, and through our master classes we’ve really shown and surprised a lot of people with how well coffee in a cocktail can work, Anette shares.
One may perhaps think coffee and booze is unseemly pairing, but both Rod and Anette showcased not just how delicious coffee and spirits go together, but how similar the world of coffee and alcohol are. œThere’s an increasing love for coffee cocktails, which can be seen at world-class bars in London and beyond, while artisan coffee houses are now serving cocktails through the night as a café nightlife culture continues to emerge. The bartender and barista play a very similar role so it’s no surprise we’ve brought the two together to drive this new coffee revolution. Rod shares.
“I’ve been learning about the drinks industry for a few years, so when Tia Maria got in touch about working together on their Coffee Project and London Cocktail Week, I thought it would be a nice way to get more hands on experience, Anette said. She also found inspiration to join the Tia Maria team for LCW from trends she was seeing in her hometown. œThe barista and bartender worlds are really starting to come together here in London, with many cafes now serving alcohol in the evenings and bars starting to delve into daytime coffee service. With Tia Maria getting behind this development and driving more knowledge and skills exchange, it’s great fun for me to be a part to both teach and learn at the same time.
For those still not convinced, just turn to your fellow bar patrons and see what they’re sipping on. œWith the taste for coffee at an all-time high, coffee cocktails have never been more popular and Tia Maria is certainly happy to be leading the charge. We’re urging all coffee lovers out there to unite and join us, says Oliver Turner, UK Country Director at Tia Maria. Coffee cocktails have never been more popular, and you can try one yourself, either by handing over to your local watering hole, or trying one of the cocktail recipes below, designed by Anette and Rod:
TIA MARIA ICED POPCORN FRAPPE
Ingredients:
- 50ml Tia Maria
- 50ml milk
- Double shot of espresso
- 20ml popcorn syrup
Method:
- Shake all ingredients and pour over cubed ice
- Garnish with popcorn
TIA MARIA FLAT WHITE RUSSIAN
Ingredients:
- 25ml Tia Maria
- 25ml Jamaican Rum
- Shot of espresso
- 5ml demerara sugar
- Laced on top with ice cold milk
Method:
- Fill glass with cubed ice
- Add all ingredients
- Stir well
- Lace milk on top
- Garnish with chocolate powder
Feel free to send us a photo with your coffee cocktails at Ashley@baristamagazine.com. Till then, bottoms up!
Interesting article. Coffee and tea drinks pair well with a wide variety of flavours.