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Detroit Black Coffee Shares 3 Refreshing Coffee Recipes For Spring

(CBS Detroit) — Jasmine Jackson, the owner of Detroit Black Coffee, is all about new combinations when it comes to coffee and lemonade, and she shared some of her current favorite recipes that you can try making at home.

Take your coffee to the next level this spring with new flavor combinations. As the seasons change, try switching your go-to coffee order for something with more vibrant, floral notes.

Credit: Jasmine Jackson

Jackson explained that her interest in coffee stems from her background in culinary arts. When she was in college, she started working at Starbucks, where she learned more about the different beans and the regions they came from to help serve guests. She would use the variety of flavorings, coffee, and lemonades to make her own drinks to see what different combinations tasted good.

She graduated from Dorsey Culinary school in 2011 and started working at Joe Muer in Bloomfield Hills. There she was introduced to the idea of roasting coffee beans.

"Roasters would come in to teach the owner about the coffee, and I would listen in to the meetings because I thought the idea of roasting was so interesting and I wanted to learn about the coffee. Then, I was like I want to open up a coffee shop," Jackson said.

After doing some research, Jackson found a roaster to work with and started Detroit Black Coffee in November of 2019. She was looking for places to open the coffee shop, but being just months before the coronavirus pandemic hit, she had to pivot and change her plan.

"I went to bottling my juice, coffee, and lattes from my house, to keep getting my name out there in that way, but that's for now," said Jackson. "We're in the process of building a mobile trailer, and it's almost done."

The trailer will allow Detroit Black Coffee to travel to different spots in the city, make it easier to cater events, and help them feed more individuals throughout the community.

Jackson said, "Not only are we in the city; we are about the city, and every fourth Saturday, we go out and feed the homeless. They say there goes the coffee girl and instantly line up because they know they are going to get some coffee and a good meal. I feed them nothing less than what I would like to eat."

Right now, Jackson feeds around 50 people each time, and she says she is looking forward to getting the trailer finished and growing her business so that she can feed even more people, more frequently.

As a life-long Detroiter, Jackson felt that it was important to keep her business in the city and help those in need within her own community.

She even names her coffees after different Detroit streets and places that have impacted her life, from the neighborhood she grew up in, to the high school she attended.

The Recipes:

Credit: Jasmine Jackson

Strawberry Rose Lemonade:
8oz of your favorite lemonade
1/2 oz rose syrup
Sliced strawberries
Dried rose petals

Directions:
1. Place add all ingredients in a shaker bottle or mason jar with a lid.
2. Add ice to the mixture and shake 10 times.
3. Pour into your favorite glass and enjoy.


Credit: Jasmine Jackson

Lavender and Honey Iced Coffee
8oz of our 3030 Fairview brewed then chilled coffee
1/2oz lavender syrup
1/2oz honey syrup
Dried Lavender for garnish

Directions:
1. Pour chilled coffee and syrups into a mason jar with a lid.
2. Shake the mixture 10 times.
3. Pour in your favorite glass with ice.
4. Garnish with dried lavender.
(You can also add a splash of your milk of choice for those who prefer milk with their iced coffee.* )


Credit: Jasmine Jackson

Brown Butter Toffee Latte
1oz of Brown Butter Toffee syrup
7oz of your favorite milk (steamed)
Whipped cream for topping
Chopped Heath candy bar for garnish

Directions:
Add the brown butter toffee syrup to your choice of steamed milk in a coffee mug.
Stir well.
Top with whipped cream and heath candy.


Visit the Detroit Black Coffee website to shop products including coffee grounds and beans, teas, edible flowers, and more!


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