Instead of spending your hard-earned babysitting money on this treat at the mall, gather some ingredients and get out your blender for this complex, cold-coffee riff on the food-court favorite.

There was nothing better than going to the mall on a summer day in the 1990’s. No parents, no responsibilities, and your weekly allowance burning a hole in your pocket. The aroma of buttery Auntie Anne’s pretzels as soon as you stepped through the revolving door. The glow of fluorescent lights and squeak of shoes on polished tiles. Listening to the latest CDs on big, communal headphones at Musicland. Sipping on an ice-cold, sweet Orange Julius in the food court. Life was good.

We wanted to replicate the nostalgic taste of the classic Orange Julius in a grown-up way. Coffee and orange juice are surprisingly perfect complements to each other—they're even more fun when combined in an ice-cold slushy! By blending invigorating cold coffee with real oranges to frothy perfection, you can make the perfect treat for a hot summer day at home.

Orange Emperor Recipe

Yield: Approximately 32 ounces. Double the recipe for a larger batch to share!

Ingredients

• 75 grams brown sugar
• 75 grams hot water
• 8 ounces cold brew concentrate. Follow our brew guide, but skip step seven.  We created this recipe for our seasonal Equilibrium blend, but you can use Apollo for a year-round take.
• 6 ounces whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom water
• 6 ounces orange juice concentrate
• 60 grams ice
• Optional: ½ teaspoon guar gum powder. Guar gum adds texture to the drink and stabilizes the drink for storage.

Instructions

1. Make a simple syrup. Simmer brown sugar and water, stirring until all of the sugar has dissolved. Chill before using.
2. In a blender, combine cold brew concentrate, milk, vanilla extract, orange blossom water, and simple syrup. Pulse for five seconds to incorporate ingredients.
3. Gently pour in the orange juice concentrate into blender. Pulse blender for five seconds to incorporate.
4. Add ice and guar gum to blender. Blend for 30 seconds.
5. Serve in two chilled, pint-size tulip glasses for a pair of decadent centerpiece drinks or split the drink into brandy snifters for a large group.
6. Enjoy!

Make this drink at home and share your photos with us using #CounterCultureCoffee