The “Keep Me Up” Cocktail

I fell asleep on my condo floor next to my space heater about an hour ago.

I’m exhausted, but I need to pack to go home tomorrow.

Hence, I need a keep me up cocktail.

Though alcohol might be desirable, I’d totally pass out, so it must be coffee based.

To the Drawing Board!

Step 1. Coffee (Obviously)

Counter Culture Holiday Blend (8oz/2tbs ground): www.counterculturecoffee.com

Finca Nueva Armenia
Region: Huehuetenango, Guatemala
Varieties: Bourbon, Typica
Elevation: 1500-1833 meters

Harvest: Jan-March

“The Vienna Melange roasting and blending technique creates layers of sweetness and flavor: combining notes of dark chocolate, milk chocolate, caramel, and dried fruit”

Step 2. Frothy Sweetness

Maple View Farm Skim Milk (~1/4 cup):www.mapleviewfarm.com

No lie, this is the best tasting milk I’ve ever had.

Malted Milk Ovaltine (2 teaspoons): www.ovaltineusa.com

Orgeat (1 tbs), an almond-orange flower syrup

Fees Bros Orange Bitters (5 drops):  www.feesbrothers.com

Step 3. Combine and Imbibe!

Time to try it!

Notice my aerolatte blender.  My lil bro got me this last Christmas and it’s awesome–quick, fun froth.  It works pretty well in plain milk, but when you start adding sugar syrups, chocolate, etc, it doesn’t froth as much as I’d like.

The Verdict: Too sweet ):

Counter Culture’s Holiday Blend is awesome, and it got overpowered by the chocolate and orgeat.  The combo of the almond, orange, and chocolate are fantastique, but honestly, you gotta choose whether you want sweet or complex.  The flavors would make a great Starbucks TM latte, but I should’ve just put some splenda and skim milk into the cup and drank it the old fashioned way.

45 minutes and one blog post later,  i am UP.