We challenged April Leslie, mixologist at Lineage restaurant in Wailea, to create a drink featuring coffee as a key ingredient. The result? The kind of cocktail that comes along once in a brew moon.
“The Funky Cold Mahina was inspired by a Dirty Chai Latte [espresso + chai tea]. We combine Vitalitea’s Nitro Cold Brew Coffee with our house-made Coconut Almond Chai Syrup, add Drambuie and Averna Amaro Siciliano liqueurs, and Diplomatico rum to bring it all together. We chose Vitalitea Hawai‘i’s Hapa Cold Brew for its smooth, velvety mouth feel and fresh, tropical, chocolatey flavor, as well as [Vitalitea’s] commitment to using locally roasted Maui Red Catuai coffee beans.”
The Funky Cold Mahina
Cocktail Recipe
YIELD: 1 cocktail
- 1 oz. Almond-Coconut Chai Syrup (Recipe follows.)
- 1 oz. Diplomatico Rum
- 2 oz. Vitalitea Nitro Cold Brew
- 1/2 oz. Averna Amaro
- 1/4 oz. Drambuie
Build cocktail in a small shaker tin. Fill the tin to 3/4 with crushed ice. Quick-shake and roll into tulip glass. Top with more ice if needed. Garnish with cinnamon, edible flower and orange peel.
Almond-Coconut-Chai Syrup
YIELD: About 5 cups | PREP TIME: 20 minutes
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 cloves
- 3 allspice berries
- 3 cardamom pods, cracked
- 25 g. ginger, peeled and chopped
- 2 c. sugar
- 2 c. almond milk
- 3/4 c. coconut milk
Toast the cinnamon, cloves, allspice and cardamom in pot over medium heat to release oils. Slowly add almond milk, sugar and ginger. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Let cool, strain and add coconut milk. Keep refrigerated.
