Cocktail of the Month: Orange Cardamom Affogato

Cocktail of the Month: Orange Cardamom Affogato

This month's featured cocktail was created in collaboration with Evan Piepenbrink, the founder of An(other) Coffee Company. Evan visited us one morning in July, and we turned the BGS offices into a makeshift test kitchen. With his Sblendid roast as our foundation, we set out to come up with the perfect boozy affogato.

What is an affogato?

Affogato is an Italian dessert which, in its simplest form, consists of espresso poured over a scoop of ice cream. Affogato means “drowned” in Italian and is used to describe food over which a liquid of some sort is poured. Typically served after lunch or dinner, affogati may or may not contain alcohol.

Our goal was to have a liquid-to-ice cream ratio that lended itself to being called a cocktail more so than a dessert. We started with a basic 1-to-1 ratio: 1 scoop of ice cream to 1 shot of espresso, knowing that any added liquor or syrups would tip the ratio in favor of liquids, making this more like a drink.

Getting Started

Using our Gemini espresso maker and an induction hob, we were able to make our office kitchenette a pretty functional coffee bar for our experimentations.

We had three different liquors on hand: Forêt d’Oranges, Amaro Nonino, and Bully Boy’s Boston Rum. Also at our disposal was our complete array of Bacanha Raw Organic Syrups from France. Bacanha syrups are made with organic pure cane sugar — no artificial sweeteners — and only natural ingredients.

We started experimenting with adding complementary flavors using combinations of the liqueurs and syrups. Getting the ratios just right was important, because ultimately we wanted Evan’s Sblendid roast to shine.

What is Sblendid?

Splendid is a whole bean coffee from An(other) Coffee Company that we sell in our stores. In Evan’s words, “This medium roast blend features seasonally rotating coffees meant to balance chocolate notes with mild fruit flavors. Expect a splendidly sweet and easy cup to drink any way you brew it!”

The Sblendid blend that Evan brought for our recipe combined two washed coffees — one from Colombia and one from Guatemala — which together evoked flavors of orange sherbert and amaretto with dark chocolate overtones. With flavor notes that good, you can see why we didn’t want the alcohol to overpower the coffee!

Finding the Right Flavor Profile

With our Gemini serving up brews on the induction hob, we played around with different combinations of coffee, ice cream, liquors, and syrups. We mixed and sampled, then mixed and sampled some more. Suffice it to say, it was not a bad way to spend a Friday morning in the office!

We decided on Forêt d’Oranges, an orange flavored cognac from France, to take the position of the alcohol in our boozy recipe. Orange and coffee just go so well together, and this liqueur added just the right amount of sweet citrus flavor.

To give the flavor even more depth, we added some of Bacanha’s Raw Organic Cardamom Syrup. The subtle taste of spice really put the flavor profile over the edge and it became something truly special. We taste tested a bit more until we got the ratios just right, and the Orange Cardamom Affogato was born.

The Recipe

We prepared our coffee with a Gemini Espresso Maker, but a Moka Pot or espresso machine would produce a sufficiently strong cup of coffee too. When filled to its full capacity, the Gemini brews two servings of coffee, so we had an extra shot. This worked out well for our experimentation purposes, but if you are only preparing one affogato you may wish to use the included reducer.

Other orange liqueurs like Cointreau or Triple Sec could be substituted for the Forêt d’Oranges.

Orange Cardamom Affogato

2 oz Sblendid coffee, brewed strong with a Gemini or Moka Pot

0.25 oz Forêt d’Oranges

0.25 oz Bacanha Cardamom syrup

1 scoop vanilla ice cream

1 small orange, for zesting

Step 1: Prepare Ingredients

Combine Forêt d’Orange and cardamom syrup in a jigger. Place a scoop of ice cream into an 8 oz glass. Brew coffee in a Gemini Espresso maker or Moka pot.

Step 2: Combine

As soon as the coffee is ready, pour it over the ice cream and add the liquor and syrup. Give everything a gentle stir with a mixing spoon. Garnish with a few curls of orange zest.

Spirit Free

We appreciate that there are times when an alcohol-free beverage is preferred and this recipe lends itself well to being made spirit free.

Orange Cardamom Affogato (Spirit-Free)

2 oz Sblendid coffee, brewed strong with a Gemini or Moka Pot

0.25 oz Bacanha Cardamom syrup

1 scoop vanilla ice cream

1 small orange, for zesting

Step 1: Prepare Ingredients

Place a scoop of ice cream into an 8 oz glass. Brew coffee in a Gemini Espresso maker or Moka pot.

Step 2: Combine

As soon as the coffee is ready, pour it over the ice cream and add the syrup. Give everything a gentle stir with a mixing spoon. Garnish with a few curls of orange zest.

Shop

We invite you to shop our curated collection for a selection of tools and ingredients that would be helpful in your own experiments with affogati.

Share

Think you’ll try it? If you make our Orange Cardamom affogato, or any one of our Cocktail of the Month recipes, snap a photo and send it toinfo@bostongeneralstore.com or share it on social @bostongeneralstore. We love to see your creations!

Don’t miss out!