Simple Non-Alcoholic Coffee and Orange Fizz

A refreshing and healthy afternoon pick-me-up. This Non-Alcoholic Coffee and Orange Fizz will any afternoon more enjoyable, at least while sipping the drink.

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When I thought to make this Non-Alcoholic Coffee and Orange Fizz it was to pair coffee with the Simple Chili Spiced Black Bean Hummus. It seemed like kind of a crazy idea, but it works. I’ve seen coffee fizzes before and thought they were refreshing. Plus I’ve had orange peel (dried and fresh) brewed into coffee before, and loved it. The orange brightens up the coffee and adds a beautiful citrus hit. I figured the juice would add a nice flavor and make this lean more towards a healthy soda. I was right! But I had to get the correct ratio. When I tried coffee and orange juice together, too much coffee threw it out of balance. More orange juice brightens the flavor, whereas more coffee darkened it and made the drink less refreshing. So I made the recipe with more orange juice.

Plus when I was creating a food pairing to go with the Simple Chili Spiced Black Bean Hummus I didn’t want alcohol. I more often have hummus and carrots as a snack. Sometimes an afternoon snack requires an additional pick me up; so coffee was the way to go. Give this Simple Non-Alcoholic Coffee and Orange Fizz and the Simple Chili Spiced Black Bean Hummus a try, it will make any afternoon better and fancier; if only for a moment.

Recipe Notes & Substitutions

Espresso/Cold Brew– I used cold espresso-like coffee made from my moka pot (for more info on the Moka Pot, check out this post by Bon Appetit’s). I like making my own so that I can make it with the coffee I like. By making it at home you can control the strength of the coffee. Cold brew will also work for this. The best coffee to use is also the one that will give you a nice pep for the afternoon. Feel free to use store bought espresso, cold brew, whatever coffee pep you like. You will want it to be a little more concentrated than standard drip coffee for the flavor.

Orange Juice– I used fresh juice, and only needed one orange for the juice (with some excess). I like fresh better, but if you have orange juice you like use that. It is so interesting how well the orange juice works with the coffee, it freshens it up. I like more orange juice in my Non-Alcoholic Coffee and Orange Fizz than coffee because it lightens up the drink. Too much coffee darkened the flavor profile.

Simple Syrup– Use regular simple syrup for this recipe. Feel free to leave to this out if you don’t enjoy a sweetened beverage. It is not a lot, and just adds a nice addition to pump up the flavors, but is optional. Simple syrup would be the best sweetener for this or if you’d rather use a drop of liquid stevia sweetener.

Club Soda– Use your favorite club soda. For the most part I use topo chico because I love the amount of fizz in the beverage. However, use whatever you soda water you have or like (or that is on sale, I do that too!). This beverage could work with tonic water instead of club soda. But if you use tonic water I’d recommend not using the simple syrup.

Why this Simple Non-Alcoholic Coffee and Orange Fizz pairing works.

This Simple Non-alcoholic Coffee and Orange Fizz with the Simple Chili Spiced Black Bean Hummus was an interesting food pairing to create. But once I tried the two together, it made so much sense especially when served with carrots. Carrots work so well with the hummus, but also helps bridge to the drink. First, carrots bring a beautiful sweetness to the hummus. They tames the earthiness of the black beans and sunflower seeds. The carrot also works incredibly well with the orange juice in the beverage. Orange matches the carrots sweetness and while bringing beautiful acidity.

The cacao powder might be an interesting addition to the hummus but it works so well with the coffee. Both the coffee and cacao are earthy and bitter. But since both are balanced in the bite and drink they add a base of flavor that emphasizes the other flavors of pairing, while tying each other together. The bitterness makes other flavors pop, and helps to highlight and brighten the orange. The orange in turn removes the bite of the bitterness, brings acidity and a beautiful sweetness. Furthermore, in mole sauce I often taste notes of coffee. Therefore the addition of a coffee beverage brings out additional layer of mole flavor to this pairing.

Finally, the club soda is an important addition for two reasons. First, it makes the drink lighter and more refreshing, perfect for any afternoon. Second, by adding carbonation it helps lighten the hummus. Carbonation helps scrub some of the hummus from the palate; similar to scrubbing bubble effect of champagne. While at first I was a bit skeptical of my own idea, this pairing ended up working out incredibly well. Plus, I know I love making anything fancy, and a curated drink pairing with a snack is that fancy! So whether it’s a tasty Tuesday, Fancy Friday or any day in between, be sure to try this Non-Alcoholic Coffee and Orange Fizz and Simple Chili Spiced Black Bean Hummus pairing.