The Young Man: On Bar Series
Recipe by David Bizilia | Words & Photography by Henry Williford
David Bizilia is the owner and operator of Side Track Coffee in downtown Opelika. David opened Side Track Coffee in 2016. Since then, he has crafted coffees with an artist’s care. Side Track serves classics like pour overs, espresso and lattes, as well as a seasonal menu featuring unique, imaginative coffees. These drinks often include classic coffee recipes with a fresh twist and, at times, ingredients that you wouldn’t find at your everyday coffee shop – everything from matcha and aromatic herbs to activated charcoal and pepper jelly.
We thought David would be a perfect fit to begin our new series, On Bar. Here, David shares with us the secret recipe and the inspiration behind one of the most popular drinks at Side Track, the Young Man.
The Young Man
“I love this drink–we nicknamed it ‘another one’ because we make around 50 a day,” David explains. “Our old and forever friend, Young Jin Chang, created this drink, focusing on the importance of the texture of the drink as well as the components. Young cared for sweetness in this drink, the vanilla and cream, but he perfectly evened it with the simplicity and complexity of cinnamon and espresso.”
“Young did a fantastic job in his art by sticking to the basics and balancing the bitter parts with the sweet. He appreciates and introduces texture that feels like a perfectly mixed cocktail.”
“Cheers, Young.”
Each morning, David carefully selects the coffee that will be used on bar. For example, today’s espresso is San Sebastian Guatemala – a naturally processed coffee from Middle State Coffee.
David samples multiple natural processed coffees from the different roasters that are carried at the cafe. After his team has tasted and is comfortable with a specific one, it is introduced on bar.
“The natural processing method preserves a lot of the original sweetness and fruit flavor from the coffee bean. This comes across in the espresso, by bringing crushy, mixed-berry sweetness to the drink,” David explains as he grinds exactly 20 grams of coffee before extracting the perfect espresso shot.
The delicate sweetness in the Young Man comes from the shop’s own homemade vanilla. David keeps a super-simple vanilla syrup on hand at all times.
All you need to make it are three basic ingredients: vanilla, sugar and water. Heat all three together and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. Then, keep it in the coolest looking ceramic bottle you can find.
One of the first characteristics you notice when you take a sip is the texture.
The Young Man has the weight and texture of a latte or cappuccino not usually found in iced espresso drinks. This is achieved by quickly steaming the half-and-half to introduce air–creating a distinct, velvety cream that plays nicely with the ice.
Finally, a dash of cinnamon is added to the top. This adds a subtle complexity and works nicely with the bold flavor of the espresso. The Young Man is served on a saucer with a spoon; this allows the customer to mix in just the right amount of cinnamon to their taste.
THE YOUNG MAN IS CRAFTED IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER AND SERVED IN A 12OZ GIBRALTAR GLASS WITH A SAUCER AND SPOON:
Add 1 ounces Homemade Vanilla into the Gibraltar glass to taste
Poor a double shot (60 ml) of espresso into the glass with the vanilla and stir
Add ice to the top of the glass
Steam half-and-half to achieve a more aerated texture
Gently pour roughly 2-3 ounces of the steamed cream over the ice
Top with a dash of cinnamon over the puffy cream top
Place on saucer with a spoon
Get hyped and serve
If you want to learn more about Side Track Coffee, Hueman Collective recently sat down with David in our story, Side Track Coffee: Cultivating Community Through Coffee. He shared with us how Side Track began, his passion for coffee, and how Side Track is serving the community in a whole new way. To learn more, check it out here!
