The spirit of the season – festive beverages.

The festive time of the year offers the welcome chance for operators to showcase their beverage making skills so that consumers can treat and indulge themselves when it comes to some celebratory drinks.

CHOCOLATE TIME

“It’s prime chocolate time as the weather turns cold,” reports Brad Wright of Marimba, who now supply in the region of 1000 outlets with their popular chocolate melts.

Marimba’s Hot Chocolate Melts are made from 40g of flakes of real single origin chocolate (just the same as their handmade chocolate bars) and have teamed up with Maison Routin (the company behind the 1883 branded range of syrups) to create a whole host of hot chocolate taste experiences that are proving to be popular with consumers across the county all year round going by the steadily increasing number outlets now serving and promoting these drinks, and in the process showing how operators can get creative with recipe ideas themselves.

The result of using flakes of real single original chocolate point out Marimba is a richer, smoother and more indulgent hot chocolate experience that’s available in white, milk and dark varieties, and the latest ruby variant too. The combination of real hot chocolate made from some of the world’s best cocoa beans combined with the pure classic flavourings offered by Maison Routin is also helping to provide hundreds of new possibilities through classic pairings or more quirkier serving suggestions, as well as seasonal suggestions, not least for the festive season.

They do supply POS material and offer training videos on their website to show how to use the melts and get the best from them, and they did have some inhouse training at the Bury St Edmunds site which they’re hoping to bring back soon. There’s also a barista training manual to access with hints and tips, and things to try, and they review their flavour guide every six months to add new ideas.

The 1883 syrups are concentrated so that only two pumps (16ml) are required for a regular 340ml or 12oz serving, claim Marimba, meaning that each litre bottle contains over 60 portions to provide a highly economical way to add value to any hot chocolate menu in these cost-conscious times.

“It’s harder work now than it has been in previous years, but the business is still out there and there are many successful cafés on the high street,” adds Brad Wright.

“A lot of places like to use all sorts of flavours year-round, but there’s still seasonal demand for the classic flavours you might expect, and in summer there’s a trend for chilled versions. We tend to see what’s working in our chocolate truffles and then turn those flavours into the equivalent flavoured drinks.”

The company feel that they are still able to offer a competitively priced product, but it’s increasingly difficult due to rising commodity prices and shipping costs. There’s no getting away from this, but they report that each time the company grows they are able to make other efficiency savings that’s limited the impact of price rises so far, but everything is going up right now, and there is a sense that people have been holding off, waiting to see if fuel prices and cost of transport levelled off, which they did do to a certain extent.

Marimba bought Teasup Tea at the beginning of the year, bringing it in-house, and also opened a new Cocoa House of their own in Bury St Edmunds – their second shop. You have to keep up, keep on changing, meeting the challenges and going forward because if you stood still you’d go backwards, feels Brad Wright. “We’ve now been trading for 15 years, and during the last three of four we’ve really branched out into more things which have worked well,” he says.

As a festive treat, Brad Wright recommends their Winter Chestnut recipe (pictured above) - a real chocolate flake milk Venezuela 43% hot chocolate melt featuring two pumps of chestnut syrup to help create a perfect winter warmer that can be topped with cream and popping candy to make your customers feel like they’re around a cosy log fire...

HELPING HAND

“Bring a little bit of Christmas cheer to customers by getting creative with the seasonal drink menu,” says Rob Ward of Gruppo Cimbali, who talks us through one of his own festive recipe ideas (below).

“A bean to cup machine such as the Cimbali S30 (which I’ve used in making this drink) can automate key aspects of the brewing cycle and drives consistency into the finished drink. This can help make the task of creating interesting variations on classic festive recipes that little bit easier.”

NEW LAUNCH

UK food and drink manufacturer, Aimia Foods, has announced that they have expanded their range of 1883 syrups with three new additions - Pumpkin Spice, Gingerbread and Cinnamon – to help baristas and foodservice operators who want to create top quality, seasonal beverages, and which can be used to transform standard beverages into a seasonal, limited-edition options, suggests Karen Green, the company’s marketing manager.

“Consumers love to get into the spirit of the season, particularly as we approach Halloween and Christmas when customers crave the taste of exotic, wintery spices,” says Karen Green.

“By adding a shot of 1883 Cinnamon syrup, for example, baristas can satisfy this demand, transforming a standard latte, cappuccino or hot chocolate into a wintery delight – one that packs a spicy and sweet punch and can be charged for at a premium, especially when served in an aesthetic way.

“With all the aromas and irresistible taste of a classic gingerbread recipe, 1883 Gingerbread syrup can also be used in the same way, with subtle notes of cinnamon and ginger powering through, making it an ideal addition to many hot beverages.”

Steeped in history, every 1883 syrup is made with pure cane sugar and water from the French Alps in which surround 1883’s home, say the company, the natural properties of 1883 syrups helping to ensure consistent quality without any need for preservatives. The high concentration of 1883 syrups means that a bottle offers good yield compared to competitors, claim 1883, with just 8ml per pump (to put this into perspective, from a single one litre bottle of Pumpkin Spice syrup, baristas can create up to 125 pumpkin spice hot drinks or 63 cold drinks based on an 8oz cup, claim the company).

A Spicy New York Irish Coffee

“When it’s prepared correctly, an Irish coffee is a fabulous end to a meal or a warming treat for weary Christmas shoppers. Here’s my take on the classic recipe which was inspired by the Pogues’ Christmas song featuring Kirsty MacColl,” explains Rob Ward.

INGREDIENTS

● 10ml Spiced Tea Muscovado Syrup

● 40ml Pogues’ Irish Whiskey

● 20ml hot water

● 40ml shot cinnamon coffee or a coffee with Christmas spice, chocolate and sherry flavour notes

● Whipped cream to top

METHOD

To make the spiced tea syrup, simply brew a mug of your favourite spiced tea. I use Jeeves & Jericho Spiced Masala Chai, then add equal weight of dark Muscovado sugar and heat gently in a pan until all the sugar is dissolved and slightly reduced (quick cheat - use three parts Monin Muscovado sugar syrup and one part Jeeves and Jericho Spiced Bombay Chai concentrate and stir well to integrate).

So many Irish coffees are made in the traditional Irish coffee glass, quite often with a cheaper, bolder coffee and cheapest whiskey from the shelf. But in this recipe, I serve the drink in a smaller, piccolo/cortado glass and reduce the amount of cream that sits on top of the drink making it a much tastier balance of the coffee, whisky, sugar and cream, and a little bit more like a dessert.

Add the sugar syrup and whiskey to a preheated glass and stir well to incorporate the flavours. If using a Cimbali S30, for example, you can programme the machine to deliver the next stages automatically. First 20ml of water is added to the whiskey and sugar mix, followed by the espresso shot. Stir the drink to mix the flavours together.

Now for the topping… Gently whipped cream is the traditional topping for this drink and I shake the cream in a small glass bottle until slightly thickened and then pour through a sieve to remove any bubbles. For a lighter option, use semi-skimmed milk through the S30 using the Snow Foam option to create a light and luscious cream milk top. For a dairy free option why not try Oatly Whippable Creamy Oat to add a great layer of luxury.

The Pogues’ single malt whiskey brings great notes of peanut butter and s’mores and the Muscovado syrup adds a spicy, festive edge to this delicious drink. Your Irish Coffees will never be the same again!

NON-ALCOHOLIC OPTION

It’s always good to have a non-alcoholic option on the menu and this is where flavoured syrups such as those from Monin can help out with their vast array of flavours to choose from. It’s easy to stock up on the popular flavours of vanilla, caramel and hazelnut, but with a little thought we can mix things up using some of the more unusual options, creating delicious drinks and telling a story as we go.

Maple sloe gin

“Individual treating is important for the emerging generation of drinkers, and when it comes to cocktails and celebratory drinks that means quality brand name alcohol and mixers along with healthier additional ingredients, often with a nod to sustainability,” says David Colcombe, chef ambassador at Maple from Canada.

“Coffee shops can enhance their Christmas hot drinks menu with comforting and warming beverages both with, or without, alcohol. Hot maple buttered rum, rich with Christmassy spices can make a special addition to a festive drinks offering, delicious served with a warm mince pie.

“Pure Canadian maple syrup can be used as a premium alternative to sugar syrup in many cocktail recipes, with lighter maple syrup pairing well with botanicals such as gin or Aperol, with darker, more robust maple syrup complementing complex, dark spirits such as rum and bourbon. Canadian maple syrup gives a depth and subtle flavour notes to a cocktail which simple sugar syrup cannot. Maple Sloe Gin is easy to make – you can add more gin or maple sugar depending on the sweetness required too.”

Infused Sloe Gin

INGREDIENTS

● 250g maple sugar

● 500g sloe berries

● 1 vanilla pod

● 1 litre gin

METHOD

1. Pop your sloe berries into the freezer the night before you plan to make your gin. This will help break down the skin, ensuring that the flavourful juice can steep into your gin more easily

2. Pour all the ingredients in a sterilised glass jar, there should be just enough maple sugar to cover the sloe berries. Close the jar and shake well.

3. You can always taste the gin and add more maple sugar later if you prefer it a little sweeter.

4. Store the gin in a cool and dark place.

5. Give the jar a good shake about twice a week to help the flavours infuse.

6. After four weeks, taste your gin and add more maple sugar if you like.

7. If you want a gin with more depth of flavour, leave the sloes to steep for a couple more weeks.

8. Once the gin is to your liking, strain the liquid through a muslin cloth and pour into a clean bottle (keep your sloe gin tightly sealed in a cool, dark place before serving).