By Sacha Delfosse – bars&clubs editor
A new cold extracted coffee product has been developed to provide bartenders with an easier, more consistent way of making espresso martinis.
Little Drippa was created in Melbourne by Lewis Kneale, who was looking for a solution to the problems of using pre-extracted coffee – such as wastage and inconsistency – in bars.
The result is a smooth and consistent product, made from 100 per cent organic Arabica beans, that saves bars time and money.
"Most bars pay $28 to $32 per kilo for beans and grind 20 to 24g per 30ml of espresso. There is generally wastage of 10 per cent and then there is the time spent extracting the coffee and labelling it," Kneale said.
"When you add this up it costs between 92c and $1.04 per cocktail – that gives bars a saving of 32 to 44 cents for using Little Drippa."
Although 30ml of Little Drippa has the same amount of caffeine as a traditional shot of espresso, when replacing the espresso component with a Little Drippa in a cocktail, the recipe will have to be adjusted, Kneale said.
Most bars find they don’t need to use as much (or any) sugar syrup, which a lot of times is used to cover the acidity that can come when using a shot of espresso coffee.
"We have found that venues that pour an Espresso Martini with less sugar but a smoother flavour will more often get a repeat purchase. Better quality beans extracted professionally lead to smoother Espresso Martinis and more sales," Kneale said.
Little Drippa is now being distributed through Local Craft Spirits.