It seems like forever ago that I lived in San Francisco. A time long before my daughter was born- when weekends were lazy, spent wandering in and out of neighborhoods, with no-one to answer to but myself- a time as foggy to remember as my beloved city by the bay. One of my favorite places to wander to was the Outer Sunset neighborhood, far off in the avenues where the smell of salt water permeates the air and the hustle and bustle of the city starts to fade away.

Andytown Coffee Roasters was an obligatory stop for a Snowy Plover. Named after a small, coastal bird that lives on the sands of Ocean Beach, a Snowy Plover is a lightly sweetened iced coffee and seltzer drink topped with the fluffiest mound of whipped cream, just like the soft white feathers of its namesake.

It’s the best iced coffee I’ve ever had, and on days I’m longing for a comforting reminder of the city that stole my heart 13 years ago, I make a version of this drink. My version uses a brown sugar simple syrup infused with the warming spices of cinnamon, clove, and cardamom. Enjoy this while the air is still warm, with just a hint of fall in the breeze.

Snowy Plover

Ingredients:

1 C brown sugar

1 C water

1 cinnamon stick

6 whole cloves

8 cardamom pods

1/2 C coffee, cold

plain seltzer water

whipped cream

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, water, cinnamon stick, cloves, and cardamom pods. Stir to combine. Heat over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Let cool completely.

In a large glass filled with ice, add coffee and 1-2 Tbsp of brown sugar simple syrup. Stir to combine. If you like your coffee sweeter add more simple syrup. Top off glass with plain seltzer and a large fluffy dollop of whipped cream.

Fine Art Friday

The Snowy Plover