Moscow Cafe Crawl

With all the excellent coffee shops around here, what could you be missing? The answer is the many possibilities of espresso drinks mixed with various liqueurs and cordials. The flavor of these is superior to the less-subtle sugar syrups we are all used to. “Caffe corretto” is what these drinks are called in Europe. It means coffee “corrected” with a shot of liqueur.

Now, before you get all teetotaling on me, be aware that the alcohol content of most of these mixed drinks is minuscule. These liqueurs usually have an alcohol content of 20%, but once you mix them with the espresso and steamed milk, you’re down to a 6 oz drink with a booze level of 7%. So if you drink the whole thing, it’s only about 1/2 a glass of wine. This is no martini, but you’ll still need to be 21 to try it out.

Think a mocha made with Godiva’s White Chocolate liqueur is going to taste better than one made with a pump of Hershey’s corn syrup? You bet!

To my knowledge, the only drink like this available in Moscow is the “true” Irish Cream latte at Bucer’s. They’ll add a shot of O’Mara’s Irish Cream to it. This is a slightly watered down (or sugared down?) version of Bailey’s. Yes, yes, you can also get drinks like this at Rico’s pub in Pullman, but that establishment is primarily a bar and the quality of their espresso and steamed milk is going to be sub-par at best.

So where can you try out some of these interesting drinks? The only place anywhere near here where you can find these is at Lindaman’s, two hours north in Spokane, Washington. Here is part of their menu so you can see what I’m talking about. I believe all of these are tiny 6 oz drinks.

The European – $3.50
Espresso, sambuca, half n half.

Napoleon’s Last Request – $3
Double espresso, orange liqueur, fresh orange twist. Napoleon Bonaparte–say what you will about the man. He was a despot, an egotistical tyrant, a conqueror of nations, and a lover of beautiful women. He lived a full life. When he died in exile, on the island of St. Helena, what do you suppose was his last request?

The Neopolitan – $4
Espresso, sylk, godiva white chocolate liqueur, chocolate and raspberry syrups, half n half. It’s very cosmopolitan in a metropolitan kind of way– then again, did you eat the strawberry or the chocolate stripe out of the carton as you stood in front of the freezer at two in the a.m.?

Lady Godiva – $4
Espresso, godiva white chocolate liqueur, half n half. Luscious. A romance novel in liquid form.

When In Rome – $4
Espresso, sylk, half n half. In her quest for veritae, Becky Lou Brown found herself in a most fortunate place–Florence, Italy. At a small, crowded outdoor café, as Becky fumbled for a place to sit, she was invited to join a table of (as Becky tells it), five of Italy’s greatest thinkers. With just a small command of her own language, Becky could only just take in the cacophony of this brilliant Italian repartee. That was, until she was presented with this stimulating drink. Today, Becky teaches philosophy at the University of Florence.

Cleo’s Closer – $4
Espresso, sylk, cherry, blueberry and chocolate syrups, half n half, whipped cream. In an attempt to seduce Mark Anthony, Cleopatra prepared a romantic dinner. She covered the floor with rose petals, filled the room with candles. She served a menu of all things “aphrodisiac”. Although impressed with such a lavish production, it was at evening’s end, when Cleo served this delightful concoction that Mark Anthony swooned.

The Tourist – $4.50
Espresso, your choice of frangelico, bailey’s, kahlua, amaretto or godiva chocolate liqueur, with half n half.

Da Vinci’s Muse – $4.50
Espresso, buttershots, frangelico, half n half. With the earthiness of rich spices running around naked in the cup—why do you think Mona was smiling?

The Triumvirate – $4.50
Espresso, bailey’s, crème de menthe, kahlua, spiced chocolate, half n half. This is not a joke. A Mexican, an Irishman and a Frenchman walked into a very busy Italian bistro. They proceeded to order what each described as their own country’s finest coffee libation. Too busy to accommodate the attention to detail each drink required, the barista mingled three as one. The result is this minty potation. A triumvirate staple. You decide.

The Golden Ratio – $4.50
Espresso, goldschlager, frangelico, honey and half n half. From the spiral of a nautilus shell, to the glorious circle of friends and acquaintances…the golden ratio is the perfect mathematical expression of life. Drink it in!

Interesting, eh? To be completely honest though, I’d have to say that I’ve had a couple of these drinks and they were, well… good, but overrated. I’ll think I’ll stick to my usual latte, but it would be fun to have these kinds of drinks as an option sometimes!

Filed under: Lore, Out of town on November 24th, 2007