Coffee Reuse Drinks

What else can good coffee become?

These are a few drinks I've been playing around with, built around coffees from Jacu and a simple idea: finding something delicious to do with good coffee left over from service.

Rather than brewing coffee specifically for the drinks, I've been using what we already have — leftover espresso for a homemade coffee liqueur, and chilled batch brew for sodas and highballs.

Recipes

01 Sweet Yellow Coffee Liqueur 02 Nordic Forest 03 Cherry Coffee Soda 04 Oatly ideas

The recipes aren't tied to one particular coffee and can change depending on what's on the bar. Fruity, light-roast batch brews work especially well, while Sweet Yellow from Jacu has been my go-to for the coffee liqueur.

01 / Espresso

Sweet Yellow Coffee Liqueur

A house coffee liqueur made with leftover Sweet Yellow espresso from Jacu — coffee left from dialling in, tasting or service rather than espresso brewed specifically for the recipe.

Reuses espresso

Cold Brew Martini

The liqueur becomes the sweet coffee component in a simple martini with cold brew and guava.

Per serve

Vodka40 ml
Sweet Yellow Coffee Liqueur20 ml
Cold brew40 ml
Guava juice20 ml

Shake hard with ice and double strain into a chilled coupe.

Liqueur batch

Leftover Sweet Yellow espresso200 g
Brown sugar100 g
Muscovado sugar200 g
White rum250 ml
Cinnamon1 stick

While the espresso is still warm, dissolve both sugars in it. Add the cinnamon stick and leave to infuse. Once cool, add the rum and mix thoroughly. Remove the cinnamon once the desired level of spice is reached. Bottle and refrigerate.

02 / Batch brew

Nordic Forest

A botanical coffee highball built around leftover batch brew, blackcurrant, blackcurrant leaves and juniper.

Reuses batch brew

Nordic Forest

Blackcurrant cordial40 ml
Juniper infusion10 ml
Chilled batch brew40 ml
Tonic100 ml

Build over ice, stir briefly and top with tonic.

Nordic Forest G&T

Blackcurrant cordial40 ml
Juniper infusion10 ml
Chilled batch brew40 ml
Gin30 ml
Tonic100 ml

Build over ice, stir briefly and top with tonic.

Recommended gin: Feddie London Dry

Juniper, citrus, Norwegian spruce and a subtle sugar kelp note fit naturally into the forest profile of the drink.

Blackcurrant & Blackcurrant Leaf Cordial

Blackcurrants500 g
Watercover + 1.5 cm
Fresh blackcurrant leaves≈ 20
Sugar300 g
Lemons, juice + peel2

Cover the fruit with water to approximately 1.5 cm above the berries. Add the blackcurrant leaves. Bring to a boil, cover and leave to infuse for 24 hours. Strain, then add the sugar and return the liquid to the heat. Bring to a boil and cook gently for approximately 20 minutes, until the sugar is fully dissolved. Add the lemon juice and peel and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain if necessary, cool completely and refrigerate.

Juniper Infusion

Dried juniper berries20 g
Water500 g

Lightly crush the juniper. Bring the water to a boil and remove from the heat. Add the berries, cover and infuse for 2 hours. Fine strain and chill.

03 / Fruity batch brew

Cherry Coffee Soda

A bright, fruit-forward coffee soda made with chilled leftover batch brew. Light-roast coffees with juicy, floral or fruit-driven profiles work especially well.

Reuses batch brew

Non-alcoholic

Spiced Cherry Cola Syrup40 ml
Chilled fruity batch brew80 ml
Sparkling water80 ml

Build over ice and top with sparkling water.

With bourbon or whisky

Spiced Cherry Cola Syrup40 ml
Fresh lemon juice10 ml
Chilled fruity batch brew80 ml
Bourbon or whisky40 ml
Sparkling water80 ml

Build over ice and top with sparkling water.

Spiced Cherry Cola Syrup

Cherries300 g
Brown sugar300 g
Water200 g
Orange1
Lemon1
Lime1
Fresh gingerto taste
Ground nutmeg1 tsp
Coriander seeds1 tsp
Cloves10
Cinnamon3 sticks

Add cherries, water, sugar, citrus zest, ginger and spices to a saucepan. Cook gently for 20 minutes. Juice the orange, lemon and lime, add all the juice and cook for another 5–10 minutes. Strain while warm, cool and refrigerate.

04 / Potential collaboration

Oatly ideas

Mappliato

Sweet, salty and creamy — espresso, maple and white miso with Oatly.

Reuses espresso

Mappliato Mix

White miso40 g
Maple syrup200 g
Espresso500 g

Blend until completely smooth.

Per serve

Mappliato Mix70 g
Oatlyto top
Iceto serve

Combine the Mappliato Mix and Oatly in a milk pitcher. Stir thoroughly, then pour over ice in a large cup.

Espresso, Guava & Coconut

Fruity espresso, guava and Oatly Coconut Edition. Simple, tropical and built around chilled espresso left from service.

Reuses espresso

Per serve

Chilled leftover espresso40 g
Guava juice50 g
Oatly Coconut Editionto top
Iceto serve

Combine the espresso and guava juice in a milk pitcher. Top with Oatly Coconut Edition and stir. Pour over ice. Brazil and Sweet Yellow both work well here.