Starting Wednesday March 4th (until we sell out) 21st Street will be offering a taste of our competition drinks as a special menu item in the Strip District. First up is Luke’s simple creation- “Lemondrop”. Next week we’ll offer Drew’s siggie.
My favorite espresso, and the one I chose for the competition, is from Finca La Maravilla in Huehuetenango, Guatemala. It exhibits a bright and juicy lemon acidity and really hits you with it’s candy-like sweetness. To accentuate the flavors I found in the coffee I created a sauce using lemon curd (basically a fruit preserve), fresh squeezed lemon juice, and a splash of heavy cream. To make the drink, I lined the rim of the glass with raw sugar, then placed a small spoonful of the lemon sauce on the bottom of the glass and pulled a shot of espresso on top. Once served, stir thoroughly and enjoy within two sips (it’s small).
Normally we only serve double shots, but sticking with the spirit of the competition what we’ll do is split the double so you can try a shot of the delicious maravilla espresso and then chase it with the signature drink. Enjoy both for only $4. If you have anything left in your caffeine budget, go ahead and top it all off with our one and only cappuccino (our usual double- no singles!) to get the full experience.
My friend Ellen read about the lemondrop, so we trekked to the Strip on Saturday to check it out. So good! I love the twist on the classic espresso-with-lemon service. If I wouldn’t have left with the shakes, I’d have ordered another. Great presentation, fantastic flavor. (Any chance of it making it to the regular menu?)
I can’t wait to see what the next signature drink will be!