April 15, 2013 Lebanon Middle East

Cheers to a Tequila-Lebanese Coffee Mix: How Amazing Does This Sound?

At the Barchef event yesterday, I discovered something truly fascinating. One bartender caught my attention as he prepared one of a kind drink. A mix of tequila and Lebanese coffee - have you heard of this mix before? I think this drink can be registered as a local signature... West meets East at its best!

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Bartender Rani Bayda from Zinc created a Tequila-Coffee drink using Don Juli0 Tequila mixed with a freshly prepared Lebanese Coffee.

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Tequila is a distilled beverage made from the blue agave plant, primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, 65 kilometers (40 mi) northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco. The blue volcanic soil in the surrounding region is particularly well suited to the growing of the blue agave, and more than 300 million of the plants are harvested there each year. Agave tequila grows differently depending on the region. Blue agaves grown in the highlands region are larger in size and sweeter in aroma and taste. Agaves harvested in the lowlands, on the other hand, have a more herbaceous fragrance and flavor. Mexican laws state that tequila can be produced only in the state of Jalisco and limited regions in the states of Guanajuato, Michoacán, Nayarit, and Tamaulipas. Mexico is granted international right to the word "tequila". Tequila is most often made at a 38–40% alcohol content (76–80 proof), but can be produced between 31–55% alcohol content (62–110 proof).

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Lebanese coffee is a method of preparing coffee. Roasted and then finely ground coffee beans are boiled in a pot, usually with sugar, and served in a cup where the grounds are allowed to settle. This method of serving coffee is found in the Middle East, North Africa, the Caucasus, and the Balkans.

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The Ingredients:

  • 285 g of white sugar
  • 285 g of brown sugar
  • 285 g of Lebanese Coffee
  • 1 liter of Tequila

The Directions:

  1. Pour in a container 1 liter of Tequila
  2. Add to it the brown sugar
  3. Followed by the white sugar (or vice versa)
  4. Prepare the coffee as you usually do, in half a liter of water ready to be served
  5. Mix the ingredients all together
  6. Put the mix in the fridge for 15 long days
  7. Serve in small traditional coffee cups and enjoy

The secret of this recipe is to keep it resting for 15 long days to have an adequate interaction/absorption between sugar, alcohol and coffee.

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The result: Although I am not a fan of tequila and I have recently started my appreciation for coffee but not the Turkish version of it, this creation is just uniquely awesome and enjoyed cold without ice. I simply loved it! it's addictive. Light black, the liquid keeps a marking on the cup's sides. The aromas escaping from it activates all your senses: A slight coffee smell decorated with soft alcohol vapor enter your nostrils to wake up the morning freshness in you and get you ready for some nightlife action. A drink with a syrup consistency, sweet, light and a robe that sticks to the cup's walls to slip gently.

You should try it to understand my amazement.

Today, I prepared my first litre, hidden in the freezer to be served during my next friends' gathering. A quick reminder:

  1. Drinking is fun, enjoy it, don’t abuse it
  2. Drink responsibly
  3. Don’t drink and drive
  4. Read some responsible ideas on Drinkiq



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