After talking to my favorite coffee roaster regarding options for cold coffee drinks, she suggested trying infusions, knowing that I had been infusing liquors with herbs and flowers all summer. After trying a number of herb and citrus combinations, I settled on lavender and lemon zest. The resulting drink takes coffee in a culinary direction. The soda water brings a light, cocktail-like feel to the beverage, while lavender brings a strong floral note without being overly perfumy, and lemon zest adds a strong citrus quality without taking the acidity to unpalatable levels.
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 100 grams (3.5 ounces) coffee beans, freshly ground
- 200 grams (7 fluid ounces) boiling water
- 500 grams (17 fluid ounces) ice-cold water
- 2 sprigs lavender
- 1 lemon, zest only
- soda water
Preparation
Pour boiling water over ground coffee in heat-proof bowl. Wait 2 minutes. Pour ice cold water into bowl, and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours. Pour entire mixture through a coffee filter. Add lavender and lemon zest to strained coffee concentrate. Let sit 4 to 6 hours. Strain lavender and lemon zest, and serve three parts coffee with one part soda water over ice.
