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Epicurious

The Husker Dew

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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Tommy Werner

Coffee-Cherry Simple Syrup lends fruity and floral notes to this refreshing summer cocktail. The name is misleading: the syrup contains neither cherries nor coffee beans. When harvesting coffee, farmers pick coffee cherries, which are shelled for their bean pits. The beans are roasted to become the coffee you know. While the cherries are usually discarded, you can actually steep their husks in hot water for an aromatic tea.

Cooks' Note

The Coffee-Cherry Simple Syrup makes enough for 8 cocktails and can be made up to 5 days in advance and refrigerated.

Find Cascara, the coffee cherry tea, online from coffee roasters like Verve in Santa Cruz.

Recipe information

  • Total Time

    55 minutes

  • Yield

    Makes 1 cocktail

Ingredients

For the Coffee-Cherry Simple Syrup:

1 cup agave nectar
2 ounces dried coffee cherry husks

For the cocktail:

2 ounces blanco tequila
3/4 ounce fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce fresh pomegranate juice
3–4 dashes Angostura bitters
Ginger beer (such as Gosling's)
Lime wheels (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Make the Coffee-Cherry Simple Syrup:

    Step 1

    Bring agave nectar and 2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high, stirring constantly, until agave nectar is incorporated. Remove from heat and stir in coffee cherry husks. Let steep at least 12 minutes.

    Step 2

    Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth-lined colander into an airtight container and chill until ready to use.

  2. Make the cocktail:

    Step 3

    Add tequila, lime juice, pomegranate juice, bitters, and 2 oz. Coffee-Cherry Simple Syrup to a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into a coupe glass and top with ginger beer. Garnish with lime wheel.

TagsCocktailAlcoholBeveragesBittersCoffeeTequilaLimeCitrusFruitPomegranateSimmerSummerEpicurious

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