I mixed a Japanese beverage (Calpico) with coffee to create this cold brew based cocktail.
You’ll either love it or hate it, though I hope you’ll love it. This is a specialty cocktail drink I call the CC Sour, which infuses the concept of a latte by replacing the milk with a cultured milk beverage. In this case, Calpico is that milk beverage.
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This coffee and Calpico cocktail is the second cocktail I’ve concocted using Japanese made beverages. The first was the The SaPresso (Coffee and Sake) and now I’m showing you how to make a CC Sour (Coffee and Calpico.)
But first…
What is Calpico?
Calpico is a Japanese non-carbonated beverage made from milk and lactobacillus (friendly bacteria). It resembles yogurt.
It was created by Kaiun Mishima in 1904 after his return to Japan from Mongolia. While in Mongolia, he suffered from indigestion. But his health problems disappeared after drinking Mongolian cultured milk. He also noticed the Mongolians were healthy despite living with cold and long winters and a harsh environment.
Developed as a health drink, Calpico officially launched in 1919. It was soon crowned as the first lactic acid drink in Japan. The drink has several microorganisms to produce so-called lactic acid fermentation. Over the years, Calpico has become a popular drink in Japan with consumers of all ages from youth to the elderly.
What does Calpico taste like?
Calpico is light and milky and has a sweet and tangy taste with notes of citrus. It comes in several flavors like mango, peach, strawberry, lychee, grape and apple. You can find it in the form of a concentrate, Calpico Water, and a carbonated version known as Calpico Soda.
The Calpico concentrate consists of water, sugar, nonfat dry milk (treated with a lactic acid culture), and citric acid. You have to refrigerate it after opening.
I chose to use the original Calpico concentrate for this CC Sour cocktail. The good news is Calpico concentrate doesn’t contain artificial coloring or preservatives. It is rich in flavor and is versatile. You can use it in different ways. Here, I’m using it to make a coffee cocktail.
What You’ll Need to Make a Coffee and Calpico Cocktail
The Tools
- Jigger and shot glass – I measured all the ingredients using these
- Cold brew coffee maker – I used this portable cold brew coffee pot from Hario. I also recommend using a cold brew coffee maker from Primula.
- Martini glass – I used a swerve glass from Libbey
The Ingredients
- 3 oz cold brew coffee (Alternatively, can use cold drip coffee or cold filtered coffee for a faster mix.)
- 1 oz Calpico concentrate
- 1 oz Grand Marnier liquor
- 6-8 ice cubes
- Orange peels (optional)
Steps
- Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
- Strain and serve in a cocktail glass.
- Garnish with orange peels.
The Verdict
To kick it up a notch, I added the orange liquor which pairs surprisingly well with Calpico. The combination produces a distinct flavor profile.
This cocktail is not for everyone. You may like it if you like fermented drinks. This is a unique drink and I do hope you will try to make it and enjoy it as much as I do.
Coffee and Calpico Cocktail Recipe
Coffee and Calpico Cocktail
Materials
- 3 oz cold brew coffee
- 1 oz Calpico concentrate
- 1 oz Grand Marnier liquor
- 6-8 ice cubes
- Orange peels (optional)
Tools
- Jigger
- Cold brew coffee maker – I used a portable cold brew coffee pot from Hario. I also recommend using a cold brew coffee maker from Primula.
- Martini glass – I used a swerve glass from Libbey
Instructions
1. Pour all the ingredients into a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 20 seconds.
2. Strain and serve in a cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with orange peels.
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Tell us what you think about this recipe.
Article and photos by Latte Art Guy
What a unique drink, thanks so much for sharing, coffee and cocktails are our favourite things! Calpico sounds like a really interesting drink, would be curious to try making cocktails with some of its other versions. We love pairing our flavoured ground coffee with a bit of liquor to really spice up an evening drink, our favourite combination lately is irish cream ground and a bit of baileys.