And the winner is…

By / Food / September 30th, 2010 / 2

Judging the Coffee and Tea Cocktail Competition was great fun. The six entries were very creative. Making use of fresh fruit, wine, spirits, sugar sprinkles and cream, the competitors let their imaginations loose designing these interesting cocktails. I went in to this competition thinking that the eight minutes I and the other two judges had in which to score presentation, aroma, creativity and taste would be more than enough. Turns out, it wasn’t nearly enough time — only because I wanted to savour each of the creations. The Cocktail Competition was open to both private individuals and professional baristas.

While I was judging the cocktail competition, the Canadian Cup Tasters Championship and the Barista Competition were taking place just down the hall. Just so much to see and try! One of the highlights was Barista-style soy milk. Long a problem, soy milk doesn’t lend itself to frothing or to those pretty designs baristas make on cappuccino foam. The new Barista-style soy milk (available soon at Whole Foods and other specialty markets) is slightly higher in fat content. The change in composition allows it to foam more easily (and hold that foam longer). It also doesn’t taste as nutty which allows more of the natural coffee flavour to come through.

The winners (and their recipes) of the competitions were as follows.

Coffee and Tea Cocktail Competition

Coffee – Armando Manzo of Toronto for his Espresso a l’Amarula
Serves 2

Ingredients
Freshly ground Italian “Monteleone” espresso beans
1/2 oz of Amarula African spirit
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Small mint leaves for garnish

Directions
Prepare espresso. Pour Amarula into an espresso cup; add coffee and sugar. Place one small mint leave on the inside of each espresso cup. Serve with a chocolate dipped cookie.

Tea – Margot Bureaux of Just Us Coffee Roasters, Nova Scotia for her Safari Latte
Serves 2 8oz tall after dinner drink glasses

Ingredients
8 oz steeped Assam full leaf tea
2 oz banana liqueur
6 oz milk, steamed
Mango
Fresh ground cardamon
Granulated white sugar

Directions
1. Wet each glass rim with fresh lemon. Dip each wet rim in sugar mixed with cardamon.
2. Mash one chunk mango into the bottom of each glass. Add a small pinch of fresh ground cardamon to the mashed mango. Add banana liqueur to each glass.
3. Steep 2 tsp fresh loose leaf tea in 10 oz of boiling water for 3 minutes. Pour 4 oz of tea into each prepared glass.
4. Steam 6 oz milk, making a froth. Divide steamed milk and froth between both glasses. Stir. Sprinkle a little fresh ground cardamon on top of the froth.
5. Cut one wedge of mango with skin partially removed; notch inner part of slice and hang on the side of the glass.

The winner of the Canadian Cup Tasters Championship is Second Cup Coffee Expert Patrick Russell. Rob Kettner from Fernwood Coffee in Victoria won the Barista Competition and will be representing Canada in the upcoming International Coffee Competition in Bogotà.     

For a complete list of participants, check out the Canadian Coffee and Tea Show.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rosemary Mantini has always loved words. When she isn't working as the Associate Editor at Tidings Magazine, she's helping others achieve their writing dreams, and sometimes she even relaxes with a good book and a glass of wine.

Comments are closed.

North America’s Longest Running Food & Wine Magazine

Get Quench-ed!!!

Champion storytellers & proudly independent for over 50 years. Free Weekly newsletter & full digital access