Making a Kope Waiū Niu
Aloha mai kākou E komo mai. We here at Kopelani are excited to present you with our very first at home Cafe series! In this series we will be teaching you some step by step instructions on how to make some amazing coffee in your own hale (hah-leh).
This week we will be making Kopelani's newest coffee drink; Kope Waiū Niu (koh-peh va-ew nee-oo). The Kope Waiū Niu is our unique take on the traditional cafe au lait, a simple yet satisfying cup of coffee. The first part of this drink is really easy, just go ahead and grab your favorite roast of Kopelani coffee and turn on your coffee machine. Our favorite blend to use for this drink is our Extra Fancy dark roast. The dark roast has a much bolder taste that really enhances the flavor while the Extra fancy grade compliments the Kope Waiū Niu with it's smooth taste and hearty aroma.
When we first started working with coffee we had become enamored with the process of making delicious coffee drinks and set out to make it at home. We have a stove top espresso maker at home so all we needed to do was figure out how to froth some milk. One of our employees, Mana, had the great idea that we could easily make foam by heating up milk on the stove then whisk it. However, As he began whisking the milk, the pot knocked over completely, covering Mana in milk! Luckily he was unhurt, but this led us to look for a safer way of making foam.
We have learned that the best and most effective way to make a quick steamed milk and froth without the use of a wand is to pour 8oz of coconut milk in a mason jar and heat that in a microwave uncovered for 1 minute. Once heated, grab yourself a dish rag or oven mitts and carefully transport it to a countertop. Give the milk a few seconds to cool (we suggest 15-20 seconds) then cover it tightly and begin shaking the milk vigorously, or until you see the desired amount of foam.
When you have finished frothing your milk, take a 16oz cup and fill it half way with your freshly brewed coffee. Then take the coconut milk and carefully add it to the coffee; take a spoon to grab the remaining foam out of the jar to add that extra layer. Make sure that you are careful when pouring out the milk so as to not accidentally burn yourself. As a final topper add a pinch of cinnamon.
Congratulations! you have successfully created a Kope Waiū Niu, now you are ready to sit down and enjoy a delicious cup of coffee with a bagel smeared in lilikoi butter. Ono kine grindz!
Here are the step by step instructions of how we here at Kopelani like to make our Kope Waiū Niu.
Ingredients
Kopelani Extra Fancy Dark roast or prefered Kopelani blend
8oz of canned coconut milk (any canned coconut milk will do)
cinnamon for topping (chocolate flakes are also a delicious alternative)
Directions
preferred method
Step 1: brew 8oz of coffee or enough for 1 cup
Step 2: pour 8oz of the canned coconut milk into a 16oz mason jar or any heat resistant container.
Step 3: heat in microwave for 1 minute (caution: hot)
Step 4: with a thick hand towel or oven mitts carefully remove the milk from the oven and let it cool for 15-20 seconds
Step 5: shake vigorously for 45 seconds or until desired foam (be careful when opening, contents might be hot)
Step 6: pour milk and scoop out the remaining foam into the coffee and enjoy
optional: top off with cinnamon powder or chocolate flakes
add honey or sweetener to taste
Be sure to follow us on instagram over at @kopelani_coffee and tag us so that we can see your creations of the Kope Waiū Niu. Until then we will see you next week. A hui hou!