Adeena’s Brew-ha #1
(AKA The Lila Special)

The Brew-ha #1 is an extra refreshing spin on iced coffee, diluted with coconut water instead of plain water. It’s perfect for those blazing hot days when you could use some extra electrolytes. A baller move, and the way my protagonist Lila prefers her drink, is to use both coconut water and coconut milk for a naturally sweetened, lactose intolerant and vegan-approved beverage.

Yield: roughly 3 cups of concentrate
 

Ingredients:
1 cup coarse ground coffee
4 cups filtered water
5-10 pandan leaves (depending on length), well-rinsed
Coconut water (can be replaced with plain filtered water)
Coconut milk
 

Directions:
 

1. Blend the pandan leaves with the water, then mix with the ground coffee in a lidded container. Stir so that the grounds are fully saturated.
 

2. Cover the container and steep for 24 hours at room temperature, then another 24 hours in the fridge.
 

3. Using a fine mesh strainer or colander lined with coffee filters, carefully strain the mixture into a clean pitcher or container, pressing down on the grounds and leaves to extract as much as possible. Feel free to strain it a second time for a more grit-free mixture.
 

4. Now you have pandan cold brew concentrate to use however you like!
 

5. However, we’re making the Brew-ha #1, so fill a glass with ice (if making the iced version) and add the cold brew concentrate, coconut water, and coconut milk in a 1:1:1 ratio. Stir and enjoy!
 

6. If you’d prefer it hot, heat the concentrate and coconut water together until hot and pour into a mug. Steam and froth the coconut milk and pour on top, in a fancy pattern if you so please.