Our friends and partners at MadCap Coffee have unveiled a summer signature drink menu, curated by Cafe Educator Jonathan Miller. The menu features four cold coffee drinks–two featuring ice cream from Grand Rapids creamery Love’sโrounded out by a coffee-free iced herbal tisane. In the cafe, guests can order an Espresso Spritzer, Love’s Sweet Cream Affogato, Hibiscus Punch, Espresso Moscow Mule and Cascara Soda Float.
“Weโve been doing random summer signature drinks for a few years, since [MadCap co-founder] Ryan Knapp created the Espresso Mint Mojito,” MadCap owner Trevor Corlett tells us.”Last year we did Espresso Spritzers using seasonal house-made syrups.”
“This year after the Big Eastern Regional Barista Competition we were offeringย my signature drink as well as an Espresso Old Fashioned and weย decided weโd really like to go big and have fun with our signature drink menu,” Corlett explains. “Itโs really embracing a culinary exploration of coffee with the idea that we can use the focus on quality and intentionality we use with our coffee itself in the creation of other fun drinks as well. And not just coffee but cascara and other teas that we carry.”
The entire staff took part in creating and perfecting the drinks, with Miller narrowing the list downย to five. “I should point out too that theyโre not random,” expanded Corlett. “The flavors that are the heart of the Espresso Moscow Mule, that lime and ginger spice, work really well with the flavors in our Third Coast espresso right now and combine to make something very refreshing.”
We asked Corlett to share a recipe from the menu, the Cascara Soda Float. Cascara soda has been featured on Sprudge before, a beverage popularized by Everyman Espresso in New York City. MadCap takes the beverage to the next level by adding a generous scoop of Love’s ice cream.
Cascara Soda Float
To make a Cascara Soda Float, you’ll first need to make cascara concentrate.
1. Steep 39 grams of cascara in ten oz of 205 degree F water for five minutes
2. Put 28 grams demerara sugar in a decanter
3. Pour tea over sugar and stir until dissolved
4. Resteep the cascara and add to the rest
5. Label and date, then chill
Once the concentrate has chilled, you can build your soda float.
2. Add 7.5 oz of sparkling water
3. โFloatโ one 3oz scoop of delicious ice cream on top
4. Serve
Photos by Seth Hermanย for MadCap Coffee.
