Winnetka cafe exclusive

Today we are launching 93 Octane in our Winnetka Cafe only. This drink, made with plum jam, brown sugar, and cardamom is sure to make a splash with its deep fruity goodness.

When we opened our first cafe in Highwood in 2018, we created a specialty drink that paid homage to that location: The Engine 37. Before becoming our first cafe, the building was the Highwood firehouse, operating the 37th engine for many years before being decommissioned shortly before we started our cafe. We designed the Engine 37—a spicy, molasses, and brown sugar latte—with the unique story of that location in mind. We knew when we made that special drink that when and if we ever had more cafes, we would want a different drink for each that celebrated the uniqueness of each neighborhood and community. Now it is time to introduce to you the newest of our cafe exclusive specialty drinks: 93 Octane.

starting with the name

Sometimes in creative endeavors, you begin with the product and name it later. Other times—as was the case with this drink—the name is the starting place for everything else. When we began the Winnetka project, we knew we would need a gas-station-themed name to celebrate the building’s unique history. One day during build-out, Keith had an epiphany: “We need to call it 93 Octane!” We couldn’t believe how perfect it was! Our cafe address is 93 Green Bay Road, so 93 Octane was meant to be.

Once we had the name, we handed off the difficult work of actually making a drink to our Cafe Manager, Molly. We did the same thing in Libertyville (read more about the creation of The Unit B), and we knew this was an awesome opportunity to let Molly showcase her creativity. With a long history working in coffee, beverages, and food, we knew that she would rise to the occasion in crafting this unique drink. The only constraint we gave Molly was the name—it had to be called 93 Octane—everything else was her decision. As we got ready to launch, I sat down with Molly to hear about her creative process in crafting this beverage.

creating 93 octane, the Winnetka Cafe exclusive specialty drink

What was your inspiration for this drink?

“Whenever I would go to my grandparents’ house growing up, they would make me an espresso topped with whipped cream and sprinkled with cardamom sugar. I’ve always loved the combination of coffee and cardamom, and knew I wanted to use it as a base for this drink. Since opening this cafe, we’ve had lots of people ask for cardamom, so I knew I wasn’t the only one who would appreciate the flavors.”

How did you decide on this combination of flavors?

“Since I was sure about the cardamom, I knew I just had to find ingredients that paired nicely. When I worked as a baker I made a plum and cardamom galette. Plums are also nostalgic to me—I grew up with five plum trees in our yard—but I had never tried it with coffee before. After some experimenting, I found that the combination of flavors blends well together.”

What obstacles did you overcome in creating this recipe?

“Plums are naturally sour and acidic, so the first few recipes I made curdled the milk when combined before I perfected the recipe. Working around the acidity was the biggest challenge. I also kept over-complicating the syrup and obscuring the flavors, so I had to simplify everything before finding the winning recipe.”

What would you tell people who want to try 93 Octane?

“Although it isn’t overly plum-forward, I would say that if you hate plums you may not like it. The plum tastes super jammy, with a slight tartness. This drink isn’t overly sweet, either; it is definitely a specialty drink that allows the espresso to shine. In that way, it is similar to the Lump of Coal, one of our holiday seasonal drinks. If you enjoyed that, I think you’ll like the 93 Octane.”

Stop by the Winnetka cafe today

Don’t just take Molly’s word for it, try the 93 Octane today. Available only at our Winnetka Cafe at 93 Green Bay Road.