Morning Cigarette Syrup

The vanilla latte we swore we'd never make. In a bottle. For years my staff lobbied for a vanilla latte. For years I said no — we don't do basic. Then I told them: fine, make it interesting. This is the syrup behind what they came back with. Real vanilla bean and smoky black cardamom, with a pinch of salt to round it out. The LA Times liked it too. In the bottle 8 fl oz / 237 mL Water, raw sugar, black cardamom, salt, vanilla bean Small batch, zero-waste Refrigerate after opening — best within 3 months How to use it Hot latte. ½ oz syrup + 1 oz Milky Way Espresso Concentrate + 6 oz steamed milk. Iced latte. Same thing, over ice. The finish. At the café we top it with charcoal-sugar "ash." At home, a pinch of cinnamon does the job. How we make it Split, scraped vanilla beans and black cardamom, steeped in raw sugar syrup in small runs at the café. The same syrup that goes into the Morning Cigarette on our fall menu.