Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Pinterest Monin is one of the leading brands in syrups and is widely used in various recipes by bartenders and baristas worldwide. Founded in 1912 by the Monin family, the company started with producing liqueur and expanded to syrups. Now run by the third generation of the family, Monin’s portfolio includes liqueurs, syrups, concentrates, teas, fruit mixes (puree), sauces, and powder bases, with over 200 flavors (and more added every year) and five factories worldwide (two in France, one in the US, one in China, and one in Malaysia). The Philippines gets its Monin supply from the Malaysia factory, which also caters to all halal countries (which is why liqueurs are not available in the Philippines since they contain alcohol). To promote their brand and to showcase their versatility, they hold Monin Cup competitions every year, alternating between coffee and cocktails. This year, Ronald Pelayo of Raffles and Fairmont Hotel, represented our country at the Monin Cup 2018 Regionals in Malaysia. Recently, Monin launched their newest product, L’Artiste de Monin. It makes creating latte art easy and convenient, and comes in caramel and cocoa. L’Artiste de Monin coffee art. photo from monin.com Fiona Tan, Sales Manager Singapore and Coffee Innovation Manager for Southeast Asia, came to Manila to give a coffee talk and showcase Monin’s versatility in coffee cocktails. She has won several awards and has been asked to judge competitions, including Malaysia Barista Championship 2015 and 2016, and Indonesia Latte Art Championship 2017. Fiona Tan, Sales Manager Singapore and Coffee Innovation Manager for Southeast Asia Fiona served seven coffee cocktails that feature different Monin syrups and made her drinks with sustainability in mind, so no plastic straws were used. 1) Sweet & Spicy Coffee Margarita A tart coffee drink with a strong passion fruit flavor and a hint of spice at the back of the throat. Ingredients: 20 ml Monin Passion Fruit Fruit Mix 10 ml Monin Habanero Lime Syrup Single espresso 45 ml tequila Directions: Combine all ingredients into shaker. Shake vigorously. Strain into coupette. Garnish with fresh lime made into a cup to be filled with tequila. Light up the spirit and sprinkle with cinnamon powder. 2) The Black Pearl A light and flavorful drink that has three layers. Ingredients: 10 ml Monin Blue Curacao Syrup 20 ml Monin Habanero Lime Syrup 90 ml tonic water Double ristretto Directions: Pour syrup into glass and fill with ice. Top up with tonic water. Extract double ristretto, put in tube and insert into glass. 3) Kaya Toast A light and refreshing mocktail that tastes exactly like kaya toast (without using kaya jam). Ingredients: 20 ml Monin Osmanthus Syrup 10 ml Monin Salted Caramel Syrup 90 ml coconut water 30 ml coconut milk 120 ml cold brew Directions: Rim glass with caramel sauce and coat with coconut flakes. Fill glass with ice and add coconut water. Combine ice, syrup, and cold brew in shaker. Shake and strain into glass. Layer with coconut cream/milk. 4) Rum New Fashioned A tiki drink that uses Monin Falernum Syrup (containing five spices: almond, clove, vanilla, honey, ginger). Ingredients: 10 ml Monin Falernum Syrup 10 ml Monin Passion Fruit Fruit Mix 10 ml lemon juice 60 ml cold brew 45 ml dark rum (optional) Directions: Combine all ingredients (except rum) into cream maker canister. Chill for 2 hours. If using rum, pour into glass. Charge canister with N2O and put contents in glass. Garnish with fresh passion fruit insert on rim. 5) Citrus Espressonic An alcohol-free take on the Negroni, has a deeply layered sweetness, with a bitterness ties the different kinds of sweetness together. Ingredients: 30 ml Monin Orange Spritz Syrup 15 ml Monin Dark Chocolate Sauce 120 ml Coke Double espresso Directions: Pour syrup into glass. Combine chocolate sauce and espresso in shaker and stir well. Add ice and shake hard. Fill glass with ice and pour Coke. Strain espresso mix into glass. Garnish with orange wedge. 6) Kopi Ice Kacang A fun creamy drink that is inspired by the famous Singaporean dessert. Ingredients: 10 ml Monin Pandan Syrup 10 ml Monin Strawberry Syrup 90 ml milk Double ristretto Pandan whipping cream Directions: Add syrup into glass and fill with ice. Gently add milk into glass. Gently pour espresso. Top with pandan whipped cream. Garnish with pandan leaves. 7) Y2K Irish Coffee A delightfully silky mocktail. Ingredients: 30 ml Monin Watermelon Syrup 160 ml filter coffee 60 ml cream (cream and coconut milk) Directions: Pour syrup and coffee into Irish glass and stir well. Combine cream and coconut milk into shaker. Shake well. Layer cream with bar spoon over coffee. Sprinkle cocoa powder. With so many kinds of coffee out there are over 200 Monin products, figuring out what syrups go with what coffee can be a difficult task. Fiona has a method that works in crafting her signature serves. “Because I’m using specialty coffee, I need to know what’s in season,” she explains. “First, I try all the single origin and the blend, and from there I think of what would go well with this coffee. The espresso-based is on the heavy side so I added they heavier syrups, for the single origin that has a mango fruit flavor, I use a milder flavor. I want to complement one another and not overpower either of them.” She has come a long way, with a career that has spanned nearly 20 years. “I have been in the coffee industry for the past 18 years,” she shares. “My first coffee experience was very bad, my first company was an Italian company and my boss gave me espresso,” she laughs. “And I didn’t like it at first. I didn’t understand why people would drink that style of coffee; they explained to me and I understood the culture behind it, and from there, appreciated the intricate flavors.” Fiona sees the different coffee cultures in each country and the value of being open-minded. “It’s like in Singapore, we like our traditional coffee with condensed milk and evaporated milk. That’s our culture,” she says. “Here, the culture is different. Filipinos like their coffee on the sweeter side, so you learn from that. You have to keep an open mind and understand the individual culture to make drinks that everyone can enjoy.” You can download the Monin Inspiration App, where you can search, create, and share recipes, and connect with a global community of baristas, mixologists, and other Monin fans around the world. For more information and updates, follow Monin on Facebook and Instagram and the hashtags #moninph, #monin, #moninspiring. Find recipes inspiration, products information, tips and more at monin.com.