Drink Idea: Cafe Cubano
Yesterday an acquaintance of mine asked me what my favorite espresso drink was, that wasn’t straight espresso. The easy answer is to say that I enjoy any espresso drink that’s made well and not too sweet (coffee has its own flavor that sugary syrups drown out). That doesn’t make for interesting conversation however, so I said that I’d probably have to go with the Cafe Cubano.
In Miami, curbside espresso carts are a common sight. Seattle’s not the only place where people line up around the block to get their daily fix, and espresso is a daily ritual for many people in Latino culture. Unfortunately, Miami is considerably hotter than Seattle with its constant “driving mist”, and buying a shot of coffee in broad 100-degree daylight might not make much sense–unless the coffee is cool, smooth, and sweet enough to gulp quickly on the way to work.
Hence the Cubano: pour one packet of turbonado sugar on top of your espresso puck, so that the sugar is actually brewed with the espresso as a double shot. Remember to use turbonado sugar such as Sugar In the Raw, not refined sugar, or the results will be acrid and undrinkable. Add half-and-half in a 1:1 ratio, and you get a 4oz room-temperature drink that’s super-smooth, lightly sweet, and easy to down in one gulp.
Not many shops around the country make these as it’s kind of a regional/cultural specialty, but feel free to ask your local barista to try making you one sometime when there’s not a long line behind you. Just ask them to pull you a double shot with turbonado sugar mixed in, then add 2oz of cream yourself, and voilà. Who knows, after having introduced the barista to the beauty of Cubanos, they might add it to the menu. I’ve seen it happen.
(Image via the wonderful food blog Off the Broiler.)
13 comments
Was this inspired by the drink’s appearance in last week’s “Cane”? Might have to make myself one. Too bad I lack half-and-half; somehow I doubt 2% will do the trick here.
Mark–
I haven’t watched “Cane”, but if it was featured then I really lucked out in my timing!
2% isn’t preferable, but feel free to try it. Whole (Vitamin D) milk is a decent substitute if you don’t have cream on hand.
-a
I can’t wait to try it. Unfortunately where I live I have no place with a proper barista that I can ask that favor of.
I am wondering where do I send my list of questions to? I have a strong love of coffee that has only gotten stronger and more refined with time. Thus I have many questions on my pursuit of the best damn cup.
JmariC–
If you like, you can send me some questions at aric AT wayofcoffee.com and I’ll try to answer them in an upcoming post.
-a
Now I just have to find some Turbinado sugar. The Queen of Tarts doesn’t have any, but Jeff says it’s on his list to add.
Would a teaspoon of molasses on top of the espresso puck work as well?
Mark–
Don’t add molasses to the puck. It’s viscosity will interfere with the water pressure, and it’ll back up into your water lines which would cause a huge mess. If you want to try honey, mix it with the espresso in the cup right before adding cream.
-a
Like this? Mmmmmmm. (Feel free to use these pics if you’d find them useful!)
Ha, yes–that’s it. What do you think of it?
If you don’t mind, I may go back and edit this post to include your shot of the turbonado on the puck.
-a
Of course!
Oh, and it was delicious and refreshing! Last hot day suitable for it, though. Autumn from here on out.
I’m a barista and would love to make this drink! I’ll most likely even try it tomorrow, although it is a bit chilly outside. Oh well.
so lemmie just make sure I got it straight .. you add the sugar After tamping? or do you settle it into the grind before you tamp?
Thanks!
Brittney–
You can just put the sugar on top of the puck, but actually, if you’re pulling shots on a commercial machine I recommend pouring the sugar into the empty filterbasket first, then dosing and tamping on top of it. The results are the same, but this way you don’t risk backflushing sugar into your water line which can affect subsequent drinks.
-a
[…] on this blog I post drink ideas such as the Cafe Cubano and the Dufrain. Though I get ideas from all over, I like to experiment on my own from time to […]
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