Lively Libations - Back to School

Monday August 8, 2016 // By Multiple Authors

For some cafes, back-to-school season means a high volume of caffeine-hungry students and parents that power their fall business. Highly caffeinated drinks cater to an older crowd, whereas blended drinks appeal more to the younger generations. Keep it simple by offering Americanos, lattes, and dirty chais that offer a higher caffeine content. Advertise creative blended frappes, smoothies, and frozen hot chocolates for kids and students who are looking for sugar over energy. Check out our staff picks below for some unique caffeinated fixes to add to your menu!

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Mexican Mocha

This drink is how I got my morning going for many years. The rich flavors of the chocolate and the espresso play well with the spicy flavor of the cayenne pepper. It worked especially well for keeping me awake during my early morning classes. The slight burn the cayenne left on my lips was always helpful in fighting how heavy my eyelids could feel. This drink is warm, delicious and rich and was a much needed pick me up on those cool mornings.

Yield: 16 oz. Drink

Ingredients:
•  5 Tbsp. Mocafe Azteca D’Oro Mexican Spiced Cocoa Powder
•  3 Dashes Cayenne Powder
•  2 Shots Espresso
•  10 oz. Whole Milk

Directions:
Pull shots of espresso and mix with mexican cocoa powder and cayenne powder until dissolved. Steam milk and then pour over espresso.

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Caramel Apple Maté

This drink is from my time as a student spending long nights and days working for that paper that says I have an education. Some mornings my usual Mexican Mocha was enough to get me through the day and night, but sometimes I needed an extra umph! to get me through. On those days, my go to caffeine was a Caramel Apple Maté. This drink will give you that traditional caffeine high, but will last longer because of the maté’s chemical structure. This is definitely not your everyday drink, but when you're in a pinch and absolutely have to be awake for a long time, this is the drink for you.

Yield: 16 oz. Drink

Ingredients:
•  8 oz. Pixie Maté Original Maté Latte Concentrate
•  1 Pumps or 1 oz. of Mountain Cider Company Apple Cider
•  5 oz. Water
•  1 - 2 pumps or ½ - 1 oz. Monin Caramel Sauce

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients in a steaming pitcher. Steam until heated through. You could also easily heat the ingredients in a stove top kettle. Serve with a dash of cinnamon.

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Go-Go Smoothie

With school back in session, it’s time to turn your attention to menu offerings that will support the student population. Despite common stereotypes, not all students are big coffee drinkers. I preferred to slurp on a fruit smoothie. Had I known I could add caffeine to these delicious treats, I’m not sure I ever would have gotten into coffee! The DaVinci Invigorator line offers a green coffee extract base that can be mixed with water to create a fruity caffeinated beverage or, as in my recipe, can be added to a smoothie for your daily serving of fruit and an energy boost. Offering a caffeinated option for your non-coffee customers is a great way to diversify your menu and be sure to meet the needs of anyone who may walk in.

Yield: 16 oz. Smoothie

Ingredients:
•  4 oz. DaVinci Orange Melon Invigorator
•  6 oz. DaVinci Sunshine Blend Smoothie
•  8 oz. Ice

Directions:
Blend all ingredients. Serve with orange wedge for garnish. For an even healthier option and a full serving of veggies, add one scoop of Dr. Smoothie Veggie Blend Add In.

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Frizzy Float

During the day, students are often on the go, walking from one class to another. But when evening settles in, so do the students, often for a late night of studying or researching. Flavored lattes and frappes may come to mind as a standard dessert like option, but how about something more indulgent? Ice cream is my favorite nighttime snack and adding a bit of Frizz bubbly espresso is a recipe fit for a long evening of reading and writing.

Yield: 16 oz. Float

Ingredients:
•  8.5 oz. Bottle of Frizz Coffee
•  3 scoops Vanilla Ice Cream

Directions:
Scoop ice cream into a tall glass. Pour Frizz Coffee to fill glass. Serve with a spoon.
Optional: Use your favorite flavor of ice cream; we used vanilla, but seriously considered buttered rum or even dark chocolate!

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Tori’s Iced Americano

When I was exhausted from studying, or just needed that caffeine-induced motivation, I stuck with a tried-and-true Americano. Hot or iced, depending on the time of day. This drink is easy to customize with flavor and let’s you control the amount of milk. Americanos were appealing to me as a student because they are generally a more affordable option. Great for all those students on a budget. Although my own school days are behind me, Americanos continue to be the drink I turn to, day in and day out.

Yield: 16 oz. Drink

Ingredients:
•  2 Shots of Espresso
•  1 Tablespoon Ghirardelli Sweet Ground White Chocolate
•  1 pump or ¼ oz DaVinci Caramel Syrup
•  1 pump or ¼ oz DaVinci Irish Cream Syrup
•  A splash of Califia Farms Barista Blend Almond Milk
•  Ice

Directions:
Pull shots of espresso and mix with syrups and white chocolate until dissolved. Pour shots over ice and top with your milk of choice. Feel free to get creative with your own addition of syrups or milks, or keep it simple with just espresso! If you prefer a hot drink, mix syrups with espresso and top with hot water.

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Dirty Mocha au Lait

A long, long time ago, when taking on school and work at the same time seemed like a good idea, I would spend my early mornings working in a cafe while my nights were spent in class listening to lectures. By the end of the week I could barely see straight. My drink of choice to keep me standing upright was inspired out of desperation. A combination of two classics, a Shot in the Dark mixed with a Mocha Café au Lait results in the Dirty Mocha au Lait which offers the perfect balance of sugar, fat and caffeine that kept my motor running.

Yield: 16 oz. Drink

Ingredients:
•  2 Shots of Espresso
•  6 oz. Brewed Coffee
•  4 Pumps or 2 oz. Torani Dark Chocolate Sauce
•  4 Pumps or 1 oz. Torani Vanilla Syrup
•  5 oz. Steamed Milk

Directions:
Pull espresso shots and mix with coffee, chocolate sauce, and vanilla syrup. Top with steamed milk and stir well.

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Iced Matcha Chai

The summer’s not over yet, but with school starting up again, autumn feels just around the corner. An iced chai is the perfect drink for that tricky transition between the seasons. David Rio’s Power Chai with Matcha is a unique addition to your menu offering a higher caffeine count due to the matcha. We chose to add Monin Coconut Syrup to enrich the traditional chai flavor. This is a great on-the-go drink that will cool down those students running between classes all day.

Yield: 16 oz. Drink

Ingredients:
•  3 Tbsp. David Rio Power Chai with Matcha
•  4 pumps or 1 oz. Monin Coconut Syrup
•  2 oz. Hot Water
•  8 oz. Milk
•  Ice

Directions:
Mix the matcha chai and syrup with hot water and stir until dissolved. Add ice and top with cold milk or your favorite alternative milk. Stir well.

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