Iced Brown Sugar Oat Milk Shaken Espresso

Before you start

This drink became a coffee shop favorite because it tastes sweet and toasty without being heavy. Hot espresso is shaken with brown sugar syrup and ice, which chills it quickly and builds a light froth, and then cold oat milk is poured over the top so it drifts down through the coffee in streaks. The molasses notes in brown sugar and a little cinnamon carry most of the flavor.

The main decisions are how strong to go and how much syrup to use. Coffee chains build it with three shots of espresso, which keeps the coffee flavor clear through the milk. If that is more caffeine than you want, use two shots and a little less milk. Shaking is not optional: it cools the espresso fast and gives the drink its frothy, rounded texture.

Ingredients

• Brown sugar syrup100 g (½ cup packed) light or dark brown sugar
• 100 ml (3½ oz) water
• 1 cinnamon stick — or ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch fine salt
• Drink90 ml (3 oz) freshly pulled espresso — 3 single shots, or 2 shots for a milder drink
• 20 to 30 ml (¾ to 1 oz) brown sugar syrup
• 1½ cups (about 220 g) ice cubes — half for shaking, half for serving
• 120 ml (4 oz) cold oat milk — barista-style oat milk holds up best

Method

1. Make the syrup: combine brown sugar, water, cinnamon stick and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Take it off the heat and let it cool with the cinnamon stick still in, about 15 to 20 minutes, then strain into a clean jar.
2. Fill the serving glass with about half the ice so it is cold when the coffee lands.
3. Pull the espresso shots directly into the shaker, or into a cup you can pour from. If using a moka pot, use 90 ml of its strong coffee.
4. Add 20 ml of the brown sugar syrup to the hot espresso and stir once so it dissolves before it gets cold.
5. Add the rest of the ice to the shaker, seal it and shake hard for 10 to 15 seconds, until the tin is frosty and you can hear the ice has broken down slightly.
6. Strain the frothy espresso into the glass over the fresh ice.
7. Pour the cold oat milk slowly over the top. It will cascade into the coffee in ribbons. Taste after a stir and add more syrup, 5 ml at a time, if you want it sweeter.

Tips for success

• Add the syrup while the espresso is still hot. Cold espresso and a thick syrup do not combine as evenly, and you end up with a sweet layer at the bottom.
• Dark brown sugar gives a deeper, more caramel-molasses flavor; light brown sugar tastes softer and closer to the café version.
• If you have no espresso machine, a moka pot or 90 ml of very strong AeroPress coffee works. Standard drip coffee is too weak to carry through the milk.

Substitutions

Oat milk

Barista oat milk is creamy and slightly sweet, which suits the brown sugar. Dairy milk works and tastes richer; almond milk is thinner and lets the espresso dominate.

Brown sugar

Coconut sugar or muscovado give a similar caramel depth. Muscovado is stronger, so start with 15 ml of syrup.

Cinnamon stick

A strip of orange peel or a split vanilla bean in the syrup gives a different but compatible warmth. Skip spices entirely for a plain brown sugar syrup.

Variations

Hot version

Stir the syrup into hot espresso and top with 150 ml steamed oat milk for a brown sugar oat latte.

Blonde roast style

Use a light roast espresso for a sweeter, less roasty base, as many cafés do with this drink.

Troubleshooting

The drink tastes watery

The shake ran too long or the espresso was too weak. Shake only until the tin frosts, and use three shots or a strong concentrate.

The coffee tastes bitter and sharp

Under-sweetened espresso is often harsh when cold. Add 5 ml more syrup, and check that the shots were not pulled too long, which extracts bitter compounds.

The syrup crystallized in the fridge

Gently rewarm the jar in a pan of warm water until clear. A spoonful of corn syrup or a few drops of lemon juice in the next batch helps prevent crystals.

Storage

Store the strained syrup in a sealed jar in the fridge and use it within about 2 weeks; discard it if it turns cloudy or shows mold. The finished drink is best within 15 minutes, before the ice dilutes it.

Safety notes

Three espresso shots carry a substantial dose of caffeine. The FDA cites 400 mg a day as an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most healthy adults, but individual sensitivity varies. Use two shots if you are sensitive.