illy Ready To Drink Cold Brew in cans has been around for a year or so. But until now, we’ve only drunk it straight from the can.

(Yes, the brand spells its name in small letters—illy—but the editor in us will refrain from a rant.)

Now, the brand gives us a creative new take on cold coffee drinks.

illy worked with Italian Master Barista Giorgio Milos to develop three fusion iced cold brew recipes that combine illy with carbonated soft drinks.

While the concept may sound unusual, trust Sig. Milos on this, and add something different to your summer coffee-drinking.

These three cold brew x soda recipes are simple to make, with 3 ingredients or less. Easy, peasy, fun. But first, let us introduce you to…
 
 
ILLY COLD BREW COFFEE

illy Ready To Drink Cold Brew is cold brewed for 12 hours, resulting in a flavor that is naturally sweet and balanced, with less acidity (photo #1).

It’s made with 100% Arabica coffee beans (more about Arabica), all natural, preservative-free, no added colors or flavors.

And illycaffè is a leading global force in sustainable high-quality coffee—a feel-better product.

The 8.45 fluid-ounce can has 190mg caffeine. There no sugar added, and the can is just 5 calories.

If you make the recipe with diet soft drinks, you can enjoy the beverage for…just 5 calories.

While Sig. Milos offers his pro tip for each recipe, THE NIBBLE has a tip of its own:

All of these are great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Another tip: Before you start mixing, chill all the ingredients.
 
 
> COLD BREW COLA

The combination of cola and cold brew combines two popular pick-me-ups. You may become a big fan.

Recipe: Fill a 12-ounce glass halfway with ice, add 5 ounces of cold brew and finish with 4 ounces of your cola of choice.

Pro Tip: Elevate this recipe by using a craft or artisan cola (Boylan’s, GuS or any of the fine regional brands).
 
 
> VANILLA COLD BREW SODA

Cream soda (which is flavored with vanilla) pairs nicely with the smooth caramel and chocolatey notes of the cold brew. Here’s how to update a glass of cream soda.

Recipe: Fill a 12-ounce glass halfway with ice. Add 4 ounces of illy cold brew, 4 ounces of cream soda, and mix.

Pro Tip: Always add the carbonated ingredient last, to keep the bubbles lively.
 
 
> COLD BREW CHERRY SODA

Cherry and coffee? Yes indeed: This new take on cherry soda will make you a believer.

Recipe: Fill a 12-ounce glass halfway with ice, add 1 ounce of cherry syrup, add 4 ounces of cold brew and stir gently. Top with 4 ounces of plain seltzer water. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

(Editor’s Note: We didn’t have cherry syrup, so we used cherry soda, replacing both the syrup and the seltzer water.)

Pro Tip: Seltzer water is more carbonated and doesn’t go flat as quickly as club soda, sparkling water or mineral waters.
 
 
READY TO TRY IT?

Gather the ingredients and have a taste test.

illy’s canned cold brew is available on illy.com and Amazon.
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF COFFEE

> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COFFEE

[1] illy Cold Brew takes on a new role, as a mixer with soft drinks (all photos © illycaffè).

[2] Add your favorite cola to illy Cold Brew for a caffeinated summer refresher.

[3] The cream soda and illy combination may be our favorite.

[4] A new take on “cherry soda.”

[1] We’re big fans of Burdick’s Scotch-infused chocolates (photo © L.A. Burdick Chocolates).

[2] Delysia Chocolatier has a nine-piece box showcasing Bourbon, Rum and Scotch (photo © Delysia) .

Two fine chocolatiers have spirits-infused chocolates for Father’s Day gifts…or for the rest of us who lust after them.

Both are limited editions.
 
 
1. L. A. BURDICK CHOCOLATE

Available June 1 through June 28th only, this exquisite assortment of Scotch whisky chocolates is a special gift for anyone who appreciates fine chocolate—and Scotch whisky.

Each chocolate is handcrafted with fine single-malt Scotch whiskies blended into every piece.

There ganache of different pieces features Glenfarclas, Highland Park, Lagavulin, Macallan and Talisker whiskeys.

There are half-pound boxes and one-pound boxes.

There are many more delicious chocolates at BurdickChocolate.com.
 
 
2. DELYSIA CHOCOLATIER

Delysia has a “spirited” 9-piece chocolate truffle collection that showcases three different spirits:

 
The ganache in each truffle is infused with aged liquor that’s expertly balanced with dark chocolate to bring out the character of the spirits:

 
Get yours at Delysia.com.
 
 
> WHAT IS CHOCOLATE GANACHE?

> WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE: BONBONS, CHOCOLATES, PRALINES, TRUFFLES?

> CHOCOLATE GLOSSARY: TERMINOLOGY, TYPES & MUCH MORE!

What are you doing this Saturday?

It’s National Rosé Day, held on the second Saturday in June (plus, two more rosé holidays—February 5th, the second Saturday in June, and the 4th Friday in June. See more about them in the ‡footnote.

We have an idea: Have a rosé tasting party. The pink wine is just right for warmer weather.

You can host the entire event, or invite friends to BYO get-together.

> Here’s how to host a rosé tasting.

> Here are more rosé entertaining ideas.

> And here are rosé and food pairings.

> The year’s 40+ white wine holidays.
 
 
WHAT IS ROSÉ WINE?

There is no grape called rosé: Rosé refers to the pink color of the wine.

The wines get their rosy color from contact* with the red grape skins during vinification.

Depending on the grape, terroir† and wine-making techniques, the color can range from the palest pink to deep ruby red to hues of orange or violet.

Still rosé wines can be made from almost any red grape varietal, or from a blend of varietals.

Sparkling rosé wines, including rosé Champagne, are exceptions because they also can be made with white grapes.

Styles range from bone dry Provençal rosé to sweet White Zinfandel and other blush wines from California.

Note that rosé wines are not made to age, and should be drunk at 1-3 years old.

The exception is top-quality rosé Champagne. A 15-year-old Dom Perignon Rosé, for example, is a joy. But, we can only dream…

Currently, the 1996 vintage—perfect for drinking now—is selling from $818 to $1,099.

But don’t be concerned: You can enjoy a perfectly lovely $10 bottle of rosé.
 
 
MORE ABOUT ROSÉ WINE

 
 
RECIPES WITH ROSÉ WINE

 
Ready to party?

Head to your nearest wine store for a selection of rosé wines.
 
 
_______________

After the juice is pressed from the red grapes, the grape skins are added back to the juice for a certain amount of time. This is known as skin contact. The length of skin contact (chosen by the wine maker) and the particular grape varietal influence the color.

Here’s some wine trivia: The juice from red wines is white, the same as the juice from white grapes. Red wines get their color from extended skin contact.

†Terroir, pronounced tur-WAH, is a French agricultural term referring to the unique set of environmental factors in a specific habitat that affect a crop’s qualities. It includes climate, elevation, proximity to a body of water, slant of the land, soil type and amount of sun. These environmental characteristics give a fruit, vegetable, cheese, olive oil, etc., its unique character.

‡The three rose holidays: February 5th is National Rosé Day in Australia and New Zealand. The Second Saturday in June is National Rosé Day founded in the U.S. in 2014 by Bodvár House of Rosés, a Swedish brand, as a U.S.-focused promotional holiday. The fourth Friday in June, International Rosé Day, was established in 2018 by the Provence wine region in France, which is essentially the global home of rosé.

[1] While people think of rosé as a French wine (it outsells white wine in France), there are excellent rosés from California and elsewhere (photo © Sonoma Cutrer Vineyards).

[2] There are delicious rosés in cans, too. Here’s more about them (photo © Bonterra Organic Winery).

[3] A special treat: rosé strawberry ice pops served in a glass of rosé wine (photo © California Strawberries).

[4] Make a Frosé. Here’s a recipe (photo © Kindred Restaurant | Davidson, North Carolina).

[5] Rose goes well with younger cheeses (photo © Sonoma Cutrer Vineyards).

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