2017 World CIGS champ Martin Hudak provides us with a special hot beverage recipe to promote the upcoming release for his book on coffee cocktails.
BY KATRINA YENTCH
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Photos courtesy of Martin Hudak
Like many ambitious coffee folks during the pandemic, 2017 World Coffee In Good Spirits champ Martin Hudak has been busier than ever. In addition to running internationally acclaimed cocktail bar Maybe Sammy in Australia, and opening the CBD-forward Sammy Junior in 2021, Martin is getting ready to launch a self-published book about coffee cocktails.
In its final days on Indiegogo, Spiritual Coffee is Martin’s full account on everything about coffee cocktails. Martin goes in-depth to explore the discovery of coffee, how it eventually found its way into alcohol, and the history behind some of the world’s most famous coffee cocktail classics like the Irish Coffee and espresso martini.
Expect to find recipes and modern interpretations by renowned experts in the bartending trade, in particular: Erik Lorincz (London), Aidan Bowie (New York), Darren Leaney (Melbourne), Agung Prabowo (Hong Kong), Moe Aljaff (Barcelona), and Remy Savage (London / Paris), as well as recipes by Martin himself.
An important contribution that Spiritual Coffee is making to the coffee community is donations to Mata & Morro, an experimental coffee producer in Matas de Minas, Brazil, that Martin visited several years ago. Located in Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro, they will be focusing on tree-planting and fighting deforestation. For every book sold, $1 AUD will go to this cause.
Today, we chat with Martin about the inspiration behind the Bulletproof Punch, a drink featured in Spiritual Coffee, and share the recipe with you to make at home yourself. To donate to the book campaign, you can do so here.
Barista Magazine: How did you come up with the Bulletproof Punch? What was your inspiration?
Martin Hudak: It was one of the oldest coffee cocktails I found upon my research for my book. It is inspired by the classic Soldiers Camping Punch, created by famous bartender Harry Johnson in New York in the late 1800s.
When preparing coffee cocktails for menus this fall, what are some tips you have for café/restaurant/bar owners?
I recommend a combination of darker spirits with spices and cider, which really work well. Also butter is a nice touch for texture, and works very well with coffee as we know (Bulletproof coffee). In terms of passionfruit (in this recipe), you can also play around and use something more local to you like berries, plums, nuts, or even pumpkin.
When creating coffee cocktails make sure you know your audience and know what they like. Try to use local and seasonal ingredients, and prepare everything in advance so you don’t have to rush and stress during busy café service. In terms of coffee, look for something fruitier and nuttier with a fuller body to complement the autumn season.
BULLETPROOF PUNCH RECIPE
30ml (1 fl oz)Michter’s Rye Whiskey
10ml (1/3 fl oz) Plantation O.F.T.D. Overproof Rum
100ml (3½ fl oz) filter coffee
30ml (1 fl oz) spiced honey
1x 20g ( ¾fl oz) passionfruit butter
50ml (1¾ fl oz) apple cider
Technique: Build
Glass: Ceramic cup
Garnish: Dried apple
Steps:
- Combine all the ingredients in a milk jug and steam it on the coffee machine until it is hot and frothy.
- Alternatively heat all the ingredients in a pan on the stove.
- Pour the mixture in a preheated clay cup and garnish with a dried apple slice.
