Dark Knight

Because he’s the hero Copenhagen deserves…

Heroes and vigilantes can come in many forms. When French born Erwan Lebonniec moved to Copenhagen he was confronted with the dark nights of the Scandinavian winter and realized something had to be done to make it through those months when the sunlight recides. As he grabbed the wheel at the wine and champagne bar Kester Thomas he utilized what he thought to be two obvious ingredients to battle the darkness: Coffee and champagne to keep you awake and bring a smile to your face.

Dark Knight by Erwan Le Bonniec from Kester Thomas.

Dark Knight
2,5 cl Pedro Ximenez (Mil Pesetas)
1,5 cl Dry curacao (Pierre Ferrand)
3 cl Cold brew coffee concentrate (Østerlandsk)
3 dashes of chocolate bitters.
Champagne brut (Brocard Pierre tradition), chardonnay, pinot noir

Shake all ingredients except champagne. Fine Strain into coupe glass and top with champagne. Garnish with bat shaped dark chocolate.

Champagne and coffee work surprisingly well together and the orange fits right into this mix. You might want to try adding some orange for a classic espresso martini as well.

If you think espresso martinis get to sweet and heavy you’ll love this cocktail. It combines the lovely dark qualities of cold brew coffee with the light fizzy feeling of a champagne which  loosens up on the heavy aspects of a classic espresso martini. With champagne and sherry as backbone this also makes for a light “low ABV cocktail” which won’t throw you under the table. Low ABV cocktails is a growing category and a trend that we’ll see bleed into bars more and more and the Dark Knight is a perfect example of how you can maintain great taste with less alcohol.

“over the last few years, we’ve seen a paradigm shift on cocktail menus far and wide to include lower-proof cocktail choices—drinks based on fortified wines such as sherry or vermouth, or lower-proof spirits, rather than the high-octane ones (think vodka, gin, whiskey) we’re used to. Some people want to go out, have a few and be social, and not wake up in great pain the next day.”

Jenny Adams, The RobbReport

No doubt this champagne/coffee vigilante cocktail provides the help needed to get you through those endless Scandinavian winter (k)nights.

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Kester Thomas – The Dark Knight from Michael Rosenfeldt on Vimeo.

“Because he’s the hero Copenhagen deserves, but not the one it needs right now – So we’ll hunt him because he can take it – Because he’s not the hero, he’s a silent guardian, watchful protector – The Dark Knight”

Author image
Thomas Klem Andersen
I believe that true mastery eventually leads to original creation given the right conditions. I love creative cocktails that push the limits of flavor pairing. But I can't deny I have a personal preference for whisky and love everything that is clear and stirred.