Everybody needs their go-to drink, and finding yours can prove to be quite difficult. With a variety of taste buds and the changing of seasons, we all need a little variety in our lives. Here are five drinks to try out this month for all ages!
- MaryCate Sperrazza — CC & President
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Homemade Cold Brew with Caramel Oat Milk Cold Foam
This may seem a bit ambitious, but I swear it pays off in the end! Making homemade cold brew is super simple and an amazing thing to have in your fridge at all times. Plus you get to adjust the strength of your cold brew and the sweetness of your cold foam!
Ingredients
1 cup — Coarsely Ground Coffee
5 cups — Room Temperature or Cold Water
2 tablespoons — Oat Milk
1-2 teaspoons — Caramel Syrup
Assembly
1. Combine the coarsely ground coffee and water in a large pitcher or jar and leave it to sit for 12-24 hours in a shaded place, not in your fridge.
2. After 12-24 hours, strain the contents of the pitcher into another bowl or pitcher through a fine-mesh sieve with a layer of paper towels in it to catch all of the grains. If you’re feeling extra committed, feel free to drain through the sieve again with a clean paper towel as you put it back into your washed-out pitcher, otherwise, the minimal grounds remaining will just settle to the bottom of the pitcher.
3. Put your pitcher of strained cold brew into the fridge and serve cold or over ice whenever you are feeling it!
4. To make the cold foam, put the oat milk and caramel syrup, to your liking, in a small glass. Using a small milk frother, like this one, or a standard whisk and some elbow grease, froth the combo until well combined and fluffy.
5. To assemble the entire drink, just put some ice into a glass, pour in your desired amount of cold brew in and top it with your cold foam. Enjoy!
*Note that this is a standard ratio of 5:1 for cold brew, however, if you would like a stronger or weaker brew, feel free to increase the ratio to have more coarsely ground coffee or more water.
- Marisa Mathó — VP & Editor-in-Chief
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Best Morning Ever Smoothie (Healthy)
This smoothie is amazing and seriously makes you feel like you have your life together. It combines delicious pina colada tropical flavors, plus a handful of veggies. This is the perfect way to kick start your Monday morning (or recover from a late night out). Warning: you will feel amazing like a health queen.
Ingredients
½ — Ripe Banana (For an extra thick smoothie, add the whole banana)
1 Handful — Frozen Pineapple Chunks
1 Large Handful — Washed Spinach
1-2 tablespoons — Greek Yogurt
Water
Optional:
Frozen Peach Chunks
1 Thumb — Ginger
Assembly
1. Put the banana, pineapple chunks and spinach into your blender. Add your Greek yogurt and a good amount of water. It will look pretty gross, but it will be amazing!
2. Blend everything together, and adjust as you go. Add in more water if the mixture is too thick.
3. Pop in an XL straw and enjoy!
Tips
I try to add as much spinach as I can tolerate. It is a great way to get in one or more servings of vegetables that you would not otherwise be able to eat in a salad. This smoothie can be really filling, so this with a slice of toast is a great and satisfying breakfast.
- Hanh Nguyen — Treasurer & Events Director
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Vietnamese Iced Coffee
If you’re looking for a simple yet strong cup of coffee, Vietnamese Iced Coffee is the drink for you! Sweetened condensed milk balances out the strength of drip coffee and cold foam adds a little extra something to brighten up your morning. Plus the drip is super satisfying to watch!
Ingredients
2 tablespoons — Finely Ground Coffee (I prefer medium French Roast)
2 tablespoons — Sweetened Condensed Milk (Adjust to your sweetness preference)
2 tablespoons — Half and Half
2 tablespoons — Milk
Ice Cubes
Notable Materials
You will also need a metal phin filter. A phin filter is a reusable, waste-free coffee filter that looks like the result of an unholy union between a coffee dripper and a French Press. Your standard phin has three parts: a cup-like chamber with holes on the bottom to brew coffee, a plate to press the grounds and a lid.
Assembly
1. Add your sweetened condensed milk to your cup of choice. I like a glass cup so I can see the drips. Place your phin filter base on top and add your ground coffee. Tightly screw the plate to the base and add a little bit of hot water to bloom the coffee. Then fill the chamber to the top with water, place your lid on top and watch your coffee drip onto the condensed milk.
2. When your coffee has finished dripping, give your coffee and good stir to mix in the condensed milk and drop in some ice cubes for a perfect way to start your morning.
3. To make the cold foam, whisk half and half, milk and a splash of condensed milk with a milk frother or a whisk until foamy and doubled in size. Float on top of your coffee for that Instagram-worthy cup. Enjoy!
- Kayla Kim — Marketing & Publicity Director
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Iced Matcha Latte with Blueberry Lavender Almond Milk
If you have been wanting to spice up your everyday matcha latte, here is the perfect recipe for you! This matcha latte will taste a bit different due to the blueberry lavender milk, which reminds me of cereal milk.
Ingredients and Materials
1 tablespoon — Matcha Powder
1 cup — Trader Joe’s Blueberry Lavender Almond Milk
2 teaspoons — Honey or Agave
Just over ⅛ cup — Hot Water
Ice Cubes
Electric Hand Whisk
Assembly
1. Boil a little more than ⅛ of a cup of hot water. I typically like to use my water boiler but if I am in a rush, I will just pop it in the microwave.
2. Add about a tablespoon of your matcha powder into your cup of hot water. Squeeze about 2 teaspoons of honey or agave into the mixture as well. Whisk the matcha mixture well until it is slightly frothy.
3. In your favorite drinking glass, put a few ice cubes in it and pour in about one cup of Trader Joe’s Blueberry Lavender Almond Milk. Pour the matcha mixture on top and there you have it, your very own iced matcha latte but with a twist!
- Lucia Verzola — Senior Editor
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21+ — Tonic, Lime and LOFC (Liquor of your Choice)
Perfect for happy hour with friends or those days when you need a little pick-me-up, this recipe allows for flexibility depending on the drinker’s preference of choice. The lime and tonic assure freshness without masking the flavor of your alcoholic base. My favorite liquors for this drink are Kettle One’s Grapefruit and Rose Vodka or Coconut Bacardi.
Ingredients
1.5 ounces (1 shot) — Liquor
4.5 ounces — Tonic or Club Soda
1 Lime, Juiced
Assembly
1. Pour a shot of your liquor of choice into your favorite drinking glass.
2. Add the juice of half or a whole lime, to your liking and dependent on the size of the lime. Top with tonic water or club soda for fizz, and to flatten the strong flavor of what you’re drinking. Enjoy!
If you try any of our drinks out, tag us on Instagram (@HerCampusAtUSFCA) so that we can check them out! Cheers!