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4 Standout Mocktails from The Barista League Montréal


Competitors are seen crafting mocktails onstage at The Barista League's Montreal event.Competitors are seen crafting mocktails onstage at The Barista League's Montreal event.

Recreate chilly brew mocktails from the occasion with these 4 artistic recipes.

BY VASILEIA FANARIOTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Pictures courtesy of The Barista League

The Barista League’s most up-to-date North American cease in Montréal introduced collectively espresso execs, creativity, and an entire lot of chilly brew. Opponents have been tasked with constructing mocktails utilizing Toddy-brewed concentrates of two coffees—a fruit-forward Colombian pure course of espresso and a balanced Guatemalan espresso.

The drinks have been judged not simply on style, however on how nicely the espresso itself shone by way of, complemented by different elements, with additional factors for look, creativity, and repair. The consequence? 4 wildly completely different takes on what espresso mocktails could be: warming, playful, nostalgic, and stylish. Listed below are the recipes so that you can attempt.

A close-up of a barista crafting a coffee mocktail at The Barista League's Montreal event.A close-up of a barista crafting a coffee mocktail at The Barista League's Montreal event.
With ten progressive groups competing, the judges had the difficult activity of tasting and evaluating daring mocktail creations—each showcasing distinctive abilities and creativity.

A Heat Espresso Ceremony (By Group Los Typicas)

Recipe (single serving):

  • 4.73 oz. Colombian pure chilly brew
  • 0.22 oz. 1883’s cane sugar syrup
  • 1.01 oz. Dona’s Grayscale black tea (80ml infusion, steeped 3:40 min.)
  • 8g tonka bean infusion
  • 1.01 oz. coconut milk

Methodology:

Combine every part collectively in a pitcher, gently heat to about 50°C, and serve in a ceramic cup.

Why it really works:

As an alternative of leaning into iced drinks, Los Typicas flipped expectations with a comforting heat mocktail. The pure Colombian’s complexity finds grounding in black tea tannins and tonka bean’s fragrant depth, whereas coconut milk provides physique and sweetness. Suppose spiced café ritual, good for cooler months.

A coffee competitor creates a coffee mocktail at The Barista League's Montreal event.A coffee competitor creates a coffee mocktail at The Barista League's Montreal event.
Drawing from Japanese flavors, Group Mame Tomo paired amazake and chilly brew with handmade mochi—a considerate, award-winning mixture that earned the title of Greatest Mocktail of the Evening.

Tsukimi Mocktail – A Japanese-Impressed Mix (By Group Mame Tomo)

Recipe (single serving):

  • 2 oz. Colombian pure chilly brew
  • 0.25 oz. grape juice
  • 1.5 oz. amazake
  • 0.175 oz. lemon juice
  • 0.25 oz. 1883’s cane sugar syrup
  • 8 dashes vegan foam
  • 3 drops salt water
  • 1 drop coconut bitters

Pairing:

The workforce served this drink with handmade mochi, made merely from rice flour and water, boiled till cooked—a chewy, textural distinction that underscored the drink’s Japanese inspiration.

Why it really works:

Drawing on Japanese taste traditions, this layered mocktail balances the roasty depth of chilly brew with amazake’s creamy sweetness, whereas citrus and grape add brightness. A contact of salt and coconut bitters amplifies complexity. Paired with mochi, the drink turns into an immersive taste and texture expertise—and it in the end earned the title of Greatest Mocktail of the Evening!

A competitor takes a sip from a cold brew mocktail during The Barista League's Montreal competition.A competitor takes a sip from a cold brew mocktail during The Barista League's Montreal competition.A competitor takes a sip from a cold brew mocktail during The Barista League's Montreal competition.
The judges’ desk turned a stage for creativity, as groups reimagined chilly brew into every part from nostalgic riffs to avant-garde showpieces.

Chilly Brew Outdated Common (By Group Acquired MOJO?)

Recipe (single serving):

  • 2 oz. Colombian pure chilly brew
  • 0.25 oz. 1883’s Blood Orange Syrup
  • 5 dashes Angostura bitters

Methodology:

Stir all elements with ice in a mixing glass. Pressure right into a rocks glass over recent ice. Garnish with orange zest and a dried orange wheel.

Why it really works:

A coffee-forward riff on the Outdated Common, this mocktail retains issues basic however elevated. The Colombian chilly brew stands in for whiskey, with bitters and blood orange syrup including depth and brightness. A easy but subtle template that cafés can simply replicate.

A floral-inspired watermelon mocktail, balancing vibrant fruit with silky soy and a aromatic rose foam topping—a creation that stood out for each style and presentation.

Watermelon & Rose Chilly Brew (By Group Ka-Pi DNA)

This vibrant mocktail layers refreshing fruit with floral magnificence, displaying simply how far chilly brew can stretch as a artistic ingredient.

Recipe – Vegan Milk-Washed Watermelon Juice:

Combine all elements and refrigerate for five hours. Pressure by way of a espresso filter.

Recipe – Rose Foam:

  • 10 oz. water
  • 2g methylcellulose
  • 2g xanthan gum
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2.7 oz. 1883’s rose syrup

Cook dinner the water, methylcellulose, xanthan, and salt collectively. Mix with the rose syrup. Chill, switch to a cream dispenser, and cost with two nitrous oxide cartridges.

From playful garnishes to elegant foams, the competitors revealed simply how versatile chilly brew could be when 10 artistic groups are set free with it.

Meeting (per drink):

  • 1.7 oz. vegan milk-washed watermelon juice (~50ml)
  • 1.2 oz. Toddy Colombian pure chilly brew (~35ml)
  • 2 ice cubes
  • Prime with rose foam
  • Garnish with a slice of watermelon dusted with plum powder

Why it really works:

The milk-washed watermelon delivers readability and sweetness, whereas Colombian chilly brew provides depth. Rose foam lends a fragile fragrance and splendid texture, with the watermelon garnish giving a playful end. It’s a show-stopper each visually and in taste.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vasileia Fanarioti (she/her) is a senior on-line correspondent for Barista Journal and a contract copywriter and editor with a major concentrate on the espresso area of interest. She has additionally been a volunteer copywriter for the I’M NOT A BARISTA NPO, offering content material to assist educate folks about baristas and their work.

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