Spiced Apple Espresso Cream Soda

Name: Spiced Apple Espresso Cream Soda
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

Recipe: Frank La , Be Bright Coffee , Los Angeles

Photo: Stan Lee

October 09, 2024

The perfect seasonal alternative to the PSL.

Before the pumpkin spice latte, apples got all the autumn attention. At Be Bright Coffee, Frank La, 2024 U.S. Barista Champion, wanted to create a seasonal drink that shifted the focus away from pumpkin flavor. “I thought apples would be a really nice fall option that doesn’t get enough love,” La says. For his spiced apple espresso cream soda, he makes an apple syrup with apple cider, cardamom, and nutmeg. “Adding cold foam gives it some warmth, lending to more of a cream soda flavor profile.”

Ingredients

4 oz. tonic water
1 oz. spiced apple syrup
1 double shot espresso

Glass:12-oz. cup
Garnish:freshly grated cinnamon

Preparation

Measure out 1 oz. of the spiced apple syrup. Add the espresso and mix thoroughly. Fill a 12-oz. chilled cup with ice and add the tonic water. Slowly add the spiced apple and espresso mixture into the tonic water. Add a small layer of cold foam and garnish.
Spiced Apple SyrupIn a saucepan, combine 8 cups of apple cider, 1 cup of maple syrup, 6 cinnamon sticks, 1/2 tsp. of ground nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp. cardamom. Bring the mixture to low-medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until reduced to about half of the original volume. It will thicken as it cools, so don’t over-reduce. (It should be a little tacky and syrupy, but not too thick and caramel-like.) When it’s ready and at the consistency you like, remove the cinnamon sticks and add in 4 tsp. of vanilla extract. This will keep in the refrigerator for 2 months.
Cold FoamAdd 4 oz. of whipping heavy cream and 1 Tbsp. of sugar to a measuring pitcher. Whisk with a mini hand whisk until the consistency is similar to wet paint: not too runny, but not too stiff.