I am pretty convinced that the closest anyone of you got to experience coffee and apple in a drink, was whilst enjoying a slice of Apple cake next to your coffee. The best I could find on the web was an “Apple Irish Coffee”, but this didn’t really knock me of my socks. Yet, these two ingredients get along well. The Argentinian Sebastián García, head bartender of the very acclaimed Nicky Harisson Speakeasy prepared an apple-coffee cocktail for us. Mission Foodpairing Impossible accomplished!
Let’s have a look at the aromatic secret behind this flavour interaction. As you know, Foodpairing always starts from an aroma analysis of ingredients. (Read more about the science behind Foodpairing here). This allows us to look for aroma connections between ingredients, leading to pairings.
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As we can see Apple as an ingredient mainly exists out of fruity aromas. These very same fruity flavors are present in many kinds of coffee, typical for the Colombian Cauca coffee. The green notes in apple are strongly enhanced by the addition of coffee. They also bring out each others woodiness.
Foodpairing Impossible challenge – Apple & coffee cocktail by Seba Garcia, Nicky Harisson Speak Easy
What happens when you give this pairing to one of Argentina’s most renowned and influential mixologists Sebastian Garcia? The young Argentinian with a high-and-tight haircut, a thin moustache and a bow-tie accepted his challenge with a big smile. The result, his very own crunchy South Crispy cocktail.
Apple – coffee – lime – honey – rum
