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Espresso and milk, two great things that go great together. But is there any way to make an espresso based milk beverage incorrectly? Too much milk? Scalding hot milk on ice? Ice espresso to-go in a large cup that’s later filled to the brim with half and half at the condiment bar? We think about these things all the time, and folks like Superofficial (stylized as “superofficial”) are trying to get answers—and coming up with some delightful and thought-provoking signature beverages along the way.
Take superofficial’s Bestemmia—their take on an iced cappuccino. Iced cappuccino is a bit of a polarizing menu item (some say it’s not even possible!) Perhaps that’s why we love superofficial’s thoughtful take on it. We spoke with co-owner Caitlin Matwijec-Walda to find out more.
Tell us about your signature drink!
There’s a lot going on with this drink, really! Is there any such thing as an iced cappuccino? There’s all these preconceived notions we’re alluding to by naming it The Bestemmia, which is Italian for Blasphemy. We are always toeing the line between appreciating coffee culture and history, and striving for a modern approach that’s exciting to people. You can get a 20-ounce cappuccino in some shops, and in others, they’re very hard and fast about how they serve it the “correct” way. At superofficial, we believe in identifying drinks more by their ratio of coffee to alt/milk than sizes, per se. We also believe in allowing the character of each coffee we serve to shine through, no matter what else is added to the drink. The Bestemmia is the perfect example of what we like to do. Making a 12-ounce cappuccino with a quad shot celebrates the coffee and makes a fun drink that non-coffee nerds can also get into.
Who crafted your signature drink?
Jon Matwijec-Walda, co-owner and the guy that makes all the drinks, came up with the Bestemmia. You can tell because he gave it a weird name, hoping to inspire a bit of conversation about the nature of the cappuccino and what makes a “good” drink.
What unique ingredients does it contain?
We choose one coffee from Sey to serve as a sweet, fruit-forward base, add in some alt/milk, ice, and then top with cold foam. For the Bestemmia, we flavor the cold foam (made from the alt/milk of the customer’s choice) with just a touch of our house-made vanilla syrup. We riff on this constantly, but this is the OG, classic version we always return to again and again. Sey roasts in small lots, so while we had it, we made a version of this called the Peach Float using Sey’s Genji Challa and some peach bitters, and it was a secret menu favorite.
Is your signature drink served in a particular vessel? How did you make this choice?
In-store, we serve the Bestemmia in our Kinto tumblers. They have a classic pint glass shape, but are smaller and made from thin, elegant glass with just a hint of a roll at the rim. They instantly add a touch of class to any drink, and highlight the milky sweetness of the cold foam as it meets the espresso and milk. If the customer is a part of our Huskee swap program, it’s served in a HuskeeCup. While not transparent, they have the added bonus of being environmentally friendly, sturdy and portable as heck, and have a unique, eye-catching look.
Where is it available?
At the one and only superofficial at 216 West Dominick Street in Rome, New York.
How much is it?
This bad boy rings up at $7.00 USD.
How long will it be on the menu?
It’s always dependent on the coffee we’re serving it with, so sometimes we feature it a bit more, but it’s basically always available!
Anything else you’d like to share about the drink?
Because it’s so coffee forward, the Bestemmia has been a great way to get people talking about the character of our different espresso options. It almost tricks people into engaging with the coffee—it’s livened up with a bit of vanilla cold foam, but at its heart, this drink is just good coffee and milk. You can pick out the tasting notes so easily that even the most casual or disaffected coffee drinker can find some sweetness and joy in this pared-down iced drink.
On The Menu is proudly presented by Oatly. Check out more signature drinks in our On The Menu archive.
