Festive Drinks to Warm You Up

Enjoy these 3 recipes by Master Barista Giorgio Milos to keep you warm this winter.

Domori and Rum Hot Chocolate

Chocolate and rum is a perfect pairing.

For cigar enthusiasts, the beverage is great for a post-dinner smoke as it brings out the cigar’s natural flavors.

Ingredients

• Domori Puertomar Dark Chocolate x 25 grammes
• 1oz of water
• 1oz White Rum
• Cold foam using skimmed milk
• 1/3oz Vanilla Syrup

Preparation:

1. Boil water and pour into a serving jug sat in large saucepan of boiling water in the jug, melt the chocolate in 1oz of hot water, stir until melted completely.
2. Add 1oz of white Rum and stir well then pour it into a illy freddo glass
3. Combine 1/3oz vanilla syrup and 3-4oz of cold skimmed milk and whip it using a milk-shaker (no milk-shaker option: use a Aerolatte or steam the milk with the espresso machine and use only the foam)
4. Pour the foam over the chocolate

Amore for date night over the festive season

Illy created this recipe 14 years ago in Italy and it has been a festive favorite served in many of their cafes.

It’s a sweeter and more balanced version of an irish coffee, perfect if entertaining a loved one or a holiday date.

Ingredients

• 2 shots of illy blend espresso
• 1 1/2oz Disaranno Amaretto Liqueur
• 2oz full fat cream slightly whipped

Preparation:

1. In a small steaming pitcher, add amaretto.
2. Heat the liqueur for a few seconds using the steam wand on your espresso machine. Pour into a 6-ounce freddo glass.
3. Prepare espressos and add to the serving glass. Gently stir.
4. In a small bowl or mixing cup add heavy cream. Lightly whip so that it is still a liquid.
5. Starting at the center of the glass, slowly pour/float cream on top of the coffee.
6. Garnish with coffee beans and dusting of cane sugar

Whiskey Cream Lattes

Great to serve at a festive brunch, the illy Guatemala Huehuetenango coffee is best as it is the sweetest of the MonoArabica single origins, the honey and caramel notes make an excellent pairing to the sweetness and milk notes of the whiskey cream.

Ingredients

• 2 espresso shots of illy’s MonoArabica Guatemala Single Origin coffee
• 1oz of Whiskey Cream e.g. Baileys
• 5oz of Whole Milk
• Grated Domori Chocolate

Preparation:

1. Pour Whiskey Cream into glass
2. Add 2 shots of Guatemala espresso coffee
3. Stir until completely blended
4. Steam the milk like you would for lattes
5. Pour on top of coffee and whiskey cream mixture
6. Garnish with grated Domori chocolate

About Giorgio Milos,Master Barista, illycaffè
Becoming an award-winning barista is a title that requires years of experience, education and passion and is a feat that has been accomplished by Giorgio Milos, illy’s Master Barista and North American Barista in Residence. Set apart from the coffee shop baristas who work to brew the perfect espresso shot and create delicate latte art, Milos ventured beyond the glass to understand the biology and chemistry of the coffee bean in an effort to create a beverage that is truly delicious. As a result, he holds multiple titles that include Italian Barista Champion, top World Barista Championship contender, Specialty Coffee Association of Europe-certified Trainer and Master Barista and Specialty Coffee Association of America-certified Master Barista and Lead Instructor.

Born and raised in northern Italy’s port city of Trieste, the city is where coffee was first introduced to Europe centuries ago and is home of illy’s headquarters. Milos’ mother also spent her entire career at illy as a quality control specialist, so it’s no wonder that Milos was destined for a career in the coffee industry.

As the company’s North American Barista in Residence, Milos travels to top restaurants and hotels throughout the United States and Canada training staff in basic techniques of espresso to creating original beverages that eventually become house specialties at The Four Seasons (NYC), Chef Tony Mantuano’s Spiaggia (Chicago) and Café Greco (San Francisco). Milos is also a faculty member of illy’s Universitá del Caffè, the international coffee education program widely acknowledged as the most comprehensive program in the industry. Students come from around the world and range from farmers to executives from top hospitality companies and learn from him as he teaches classes on the history of coffee, agronomy, chemistry, processing and production and an intensive hands-on coffee preparation course.

When he’s not teaching industry professionals, Milos shares and performs his skills during his illy Master Barista Series classes for coffee enthusiasts at gourmet retailers such as Sur La Table and various cafes. He frequently makes appearances at the Wine & Food Festivals in New York City and South Beach.

Milos has been profiled and interviewed in numerous publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Miami Herald, Cigar Aficionado, Salon.com and is a former contributing columnist for TheAtlantic.com.

To learn more please visit  illyusa.com and MasterBarista.Tumblr.com. You can also find him on Twitter.