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Brew guide for the June 2021 box

Brew guide for the June 2021 box

For this month's brew guide, I created a delicious non-alcoholic cold brew Spritz that will be a true delight during the summer months

Holler!

Last week we had a period of tropical heat in Amsterdam, which has now turned back into spring weather with cool and slightly overcast days. It is a nice respite from the intense temperatures but this is not going to dampen my mood.

For this month’s brew guide, I wanted to do something a bit different. Usually, I am sharing recipes with you for brewing the delicious coffees from my boxes hot. Today, I am going to tell you how you can make a really tasty summer drink using non-alcholic incredients that I’ve been collecting over the past few weeks.

At the start of the year, I decided to give up alcohol and I’ve never been better. Luckily, the range of tasty non-alcoholic drinks has really increased a lot in the past years and these days, you no longer have to sip on sugary soft drinks while your friends are having cocktails or indulging in local craft beer.

The recipe for my summery cold brew Spritz was inspired by a drink I had a Lot Sixty One recently and in this brew guide, you will find my version of this Italian classic alongside recipes from Sloane, Per Nordby and Hoppenworth & Ploch.

Salute!


Non-alcoholic cocktail

Non-alcoholic ingredients

Ice cubes in a glass

Non-alcoholic Martini

Cold brew coffee

Fentimans Tonic Water

The Bitter Truth Rose Water

Summer coffee cocktail

 



Basic setup:

As in any good kitchen or bar, you want to be sure to have a few key items at your disposal that will aid you in preparing a delicious cup of coffee.

These include:

    • Scales (with or without a timer – you can use your phone or your watch)
    • A good quality burr grinder such as the Comandante Grinder
    • The Kruve Sifter (not required but handy to filter out fines)
    • Your favourite brew method (Origami, Kalita Wave, V60, AeroPress etc)
    • A clean vessel for brewing and decanting
    • Water for brewing. I use the brilliant Peak Water filtration system
    • A pouring kettle but a regular kettle will also do, however, it requires more precision
    • Have some ice in the freezer if you plan to make cold coffee drinks

It’s very important to always freshly grind your coffee just before preparation because coffee is very volatile and quickly loses its full aroma in a matter of minutes.

You can also vacuum pack your coffee in portions, name and number each batch and then keep it in a dry cool place. More information about freshness and how to rest your coffees can be found in this article.

For espresso, I use my home espresso machine, a Lelit MaraX along with a separate grinder for espresso. I use the same water I use for brewing.


My recipe for a refreshing cold brew Spritz:

Let’s start with the cold brew. Use 30g of coffee very coarsely ground and put this into a French Press. Then, add 500ml of water and gave it a good stir to combine. Leave in the fridge for 12-18 hours. Give it one more stir, push the filter down and pour the liquid into a Chemex with a wet paper filter to remove any oils. Keep in a clear glass bottle in the fridge for a few days.

For my cocktail, I used a gin & tonic glass. Add some ice cubes and one cap full of non-alcoholic Martini. Add 200ml of your cold brew and a small can of tonic. If this turns out too sour, you can also use a sweeter tonic or ginger beer/ale. Then add some drops of a non-alcholic flavoured water. I used The Bitter Truth’s Rose Water to give it a bit of floral notes.

Add a paper straw and party!

Hoppenworth & Ploch’s recipe for filter:

When brewing these natural fruit-bombs from Ethiopia we adjust our recipe for filter brewing a bit. As these coffees bring a lot of natural sweetness and body with them, we slightly reduce the dose we’re using, aiming for a lighter and more floral cup! E.g. instead of a ratio of 1:14 (coffee to water) we prefer a 1:16 or even 1:17 ratio.

V60: Ratio: 1:17, e.g. 15g of coffee, 255ml water technique: 45 seconds bloom with 55g of water, two pours with 100ml each, spin after last pour. Grind size: medium-coarse (Comandante 26 clicks) Brew time: 2:30-3:00 minutes. Water: 80ppm.

Hoppenworth & Ploch’s recipe for espresso:

When dialing in an Ethiopian Natural for Espresso we start with a rather classic recipe. A dose of 1:2 (e.g. 20g of coffee, 40ml of water) will give the shot a lot of sweetness and body. We adjust the grind size to alter the extraction and strength but try to stick to the dose throughout. Roughly, shot time should be between 25-30 seconds but this is rather an indication than a variable we try to adjust. Let your taste buds lead the way from there.

Per Nordby’s recipe for filter:

We use 30-35g of coffee for 500g water ratio. Brew time depends on brew method. With a Kalita or V60 we have a brew time of around 2:40 minutes.

Per Nordby’s recipe for espresso:

We use 19g of coffee to make a 55g finished brew. Brew time around 26-30 seconds.

Sloane’s recipe for filter:

We recommend heating up 300g of water up to 92°C as the brewing process using a V60is about to start. Take 20g of medium grind coffee, place it in the filter and carefully shake it to make sure that the coffee bed is even. Start your pre-infusion with a pour of 50g of water and let the coffee bloom for 45 seconds. At the 45 second mark, circularly pour 70g of water. From this point on, there are only 3 pours left.  So, at the 1:30 minute mark, pour 50g of water. Pour 50g more at the 2:15 minute mark. And to end it nicely at the 3:00 minute mark, you’ll add the last 50g of water to your brew. The total brew time is of 3:45 minutes. Let the coffee cool down for a bit, and then let your taste buds enjoy the fruity notes.

Sloane’s recipe for espresso:

For a balanced espresso extraction we recommend 18g of coffee at a medium fine grind, which then results, in about 22-25 seconds, in 38g in your cup. For an even more prolonged aftertaste, a 4 second post-infusion is recommended.
If you’re feeling funky, you can even try a 6.5 bar extraction, which detaches from the traditional 9bar ones, but results in more crema and an even stronger honey cinnamon like aftertaste. You can obtain such an experience by having 19g in, at the same grind size, and 42 out in about 32-35 seconds.


What did you think of these recipes and the coffees from the June 2021 Coffeevine box? Let me know in the comments down below and make sure you subscribe in time for the upcoming July 2021 coffee subscription box.

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