Is it a drink, or is it a dessert? When it’s as good as the Stumptown Vanilla Flip, classification doesn’t seem to matter as much.
We were on the hunt for a new espresso cocktail to test when we stumbled across this gem from bartender Andrew Friedman at Seattle’s Liberty Bar in a back-issue of Imbibe magazine. The recipe intrigued us, on account of the huge proportion of vanilla liqueur (Friedman calls for Navan), as well as the meringue-style technique.
It’s a bit of a pain to mix up, as it involves first creating the meringue, then shaking the other ingredients, and finally adding the meringue back in for one last shake. We’d say it’s worth it – the resulting drink is smooth, rich, and magnificently aromatic.
We recommend serving it in a small glass that is quite wide and flat. On our first attempt, we served it in small sherry glasses; while it looked cute, the need to tip the glass to drink it meant that the merengue foam slipped to the other side of the glass, and our test subjects were never able to get a sip that contained both foam and liquid. That foam is a critical component of the Stumptown Vanilla Flip’s flavor and mouthfeel, so you’d do well to find a small dessert cup or champagne coupe to serve it in.
