Cherry Chili Cacao Latte

Name: Cherry Chili Cacao Latte
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

Recipe: Nick Purvis , Good Coffee , Portland, OR

Photo: Char Beck

January 24, 2022

A vibrant DIY syrup makes for an excellent flavored latte.

A triple threat of flavors makes this Cherry Chili Cacao Latte from Good Coffee a winner. “This drink was built to be both intriguing and delicious,” says Nick Purvis, one of the founders of the Portland, Oregon-based roaster and café chain. The vibrant drink is also the result of local collaboration. The folks at The Commissary (and Super Jugoso in the Bay Area) make a rich reduction of cherries, fiery Thai chilis, and toasty cacao nibs that becomes a perfect base syrup. Good Coffee tops it with a double shot of espresso. The latte’s crowning jewel is a sprinkle of candied cacao nibs from Portland bean-to-bar chocolate maker, Cloudforest.

Ingredients

3/4 oz. cherry chili cacao syrup
2 shots espresso, preferably Latin American coffee
9-10 oz. milk of choice (steamed or cold)
candied cacao nibs

Tools:espresso machine
Glass:coffee mug
Garnish:candied cacao nibs

Preparation

Add the cherry chili cacao syrup to a mug and pull the espresso shots on top. Stir to incorporate. Top with steamed milk of choice, or ice and cold milk. Garnish with a sprinkle of candied cacao nibs.

Cherry Chili Cacao Syrup20 grams cacao nibs (approx. ¼ cup)
2 grams dried Thai chilis (1-2 ea.)
150 grams frozen pitted cherries (approx. 1 cup)
330 grams sugar (approx. 1 ½ cups)
414 grams water (approx. 1 ¾ cup)

Heat oven to 350ºF. Spread the cacao nibs on a baking sheet and toast in oven for 3 minutes. Combine all of the ingredients, except the cherries, in a pot, and lightly crumble chilis by hand when adding (wear gloves). Stir well to incorporate sugar. Heat on medium-high until syrup reaches a low simmer, then stir in cherries. Increase heat to high and bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to medium-high and boil for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and allow to steep in the refrigerator overnight. Strain through cheesecloth, squeezing to extract juices from the cherries. Bottle the syrup and store refrigerated for up to 1 month.