Blood Orange & Cerron Grande Cold Extraction
A high-contrast drink built with precision and restraint.
The bars we visited across Milan share a common instinct — restraint as a design philosophy, contrast as a language. Dark spaces that earn their atmosphere through conviction rather than decoration. No unnecessary surfaces. Nothing that doesn’t earn its place. This drink is our attempt to translate that into a glass.
A 16-hour cold extraction of our Cerron Grande whole beans — heavy-bodied, clean, devoid of bitterness — layered with precision over a vivid blood orange and botanical tonic base. Two liquids, one boundary line. High contrast, precisely built, nothing wasted.
I. The Composition
- Freshly Pressed Blood Orange Juice 120ml
- Botanical Tonic Water (Low Sugar) 60ml
- Organic Agave Nectar 1 tsp
- Cerron Grande Specialty Whole Beans 30g
- Filtered Water (Cold) 200ml
- Fresh Makrut Lime Leaf 1 piece
- Clear Ice Sphere 1 large
Sourcing NoteBlood oranges are seasonal — available December through March in the UK. Out of season, a good ruby grapefruit juice makes a worthy substitute: similarly acidic, similarly vivid. Makrut lime leaves are available fresh or frozen from most Asian supermarkets. The clear ice sphere makes a genuine difference to the layering — standard ice cubes melt faster and disturb the boundary line.
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II. The Architecture
1. Execute the Cold ExtractionCoarsely grind 30g of Cerron Grande whole beans. Combine with 200ml of cold filtered water in a glass jar. Seal and refrigerate for exactly 16 hours. Filter through a dual-layer paper filter for a clean, heavy-bodied concentrate with no bitterness.
2. Build the BasePass the blood orange juice through a fine mesh sieve to remove pulp, preserving pure crimson clarity. Stir in the agave nectar until fully dissolved. Place one clear ice sphere in a straight-sided glass tumbler. Pour the sweetened blood orange juice over the sphere, then gently float the botanical tonic on top.
3. Layer the ExtractionHold a cold bar spoon against the inside wall of the glass. Slowly pour 60ml of the Cerron Grande cold extraction over the back of the spoon. If poured with patience, the dense coffee will sit above the citrus base — a clean, dark boundary line between the two.
4. Finish with PrecisionTwist the Makrut lime leaf firmly over the rim of the glass to express its essential oils across the surface. The aromatic lift cuts through the richness of the cold brew and brightens the blood orange below. Serve immediately — the boundary line is at its sharpest in the first minute.
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