I was in line at The Coffee Bar in DC today when I noticed a new addition to the signature drinks menu on the board. And the drink was boosted by the fun letter board.
Now is the point at which I admit I snuck a look at my phone to figure out what yuzu is. Finding it to be a citrus fruit with a tart and sour taste and a touch of sweetness, I figured I’d continue expanding my horizons at least be able to get a post out of the experience, and ordered one.
Here’s what I got:
You may notice the color differentiation from the lighter bottom to the darker top. I made the mistake of trying a couple sips without mixing it very well, which was not a good idea. Bitter bitter bitter.
I grabbed a straw, gave it a thorough stir, and that made all the difference.
The combination was very interesting when sipped slowly. There was still the bitterness from the yuzu, but it was better balanced by a measure of the fruit’s sweetness. There was just the hint of mint, which I may well have missed if I hadn’t seen the ingredient list; a little more prominence there may have made for an even better drink. The espresso was very much the building block for the drink, very much present without getting in the way of the other ingredients. There is a lot going on with some pretty strong flavors, but it works.
Overall I liked it, particularly as a more refreshing and interesting way to get a cold drink from coffee than just putting it over ice. Particularly attractive if you have some time to relax and enjoy it, because this is not the kind of drink to take in the car and slurp down quickly as you fight traffic. You might want to have a stick or two of chewing gum handy though, because the Muzu does leave a very strong taste lingering in your mouth for a while – which may have been helped with a big more mint in the mix.