As a college student, I already pull plenty of all-nighters, but things are about to get so much more intense. Within a few short weeks, millions of people will forget about the world around them as they become reimmersed in quaint, little Pelican Town. The 1.6 update for the renowned farming simulator, Stardew Valley, is finally coming to consoles and mobile on November 4, and it is making me absolutely buzzed with excitement.
How will I keep myself energized for that gaming grind? Well, according to the Official Stardew Valley Cookbook, I could always make the Triple Shot Espresso.
What does cooking have to do with a farming video game?
Cooking influences gameplay in a lot of different ways in the pixelated world of Stardew Valley.
“Even though I know a lot of people who don’t touch the cooking mechanic in Stardew, I think it’s good — in fact I think it’s amazing,” said New Zealand-based content creator, stardead456, in an interview with Spoon. “It gives you the chance to find ways to make the game easier with the excess amount of resources you end up picking up. You get so much and you don’t necessarily have to sell everything, which is a good rule of thumb for cooking that I find.”
Whether you’re trying to catch every fish in the sea or battle supernatural enemies, most recipes you whip up in the kitchen will do more than just replenish your energy. Sometimes it’ll make or break you in scenarios that catch you by surprise. Some players even have their favorites.
“It took me a while to realize that it can help tremendously in the mines. There is no way to get through Skull Cavern without the Spicy Eel and Lucky Lunch. I do wish you could stack buffs better though,” said Virginia-based content creator, angelbgaming.
Meanwhile, others think of a more potent brew.
“When I think Stardew, I think cooking, and I think I’ve gotta get my stats up, gotta move fast so I can get more done in the day. It’s the [Triple Shot Espresso] for me,” stardead456 said.
What is the Triple Shot Espresso?
The Triple Shot Espresso is a recipe you can unlock in the game by heading over to the Stardrop Saloon and purchasing it directly from Gus for 5,000G [in-game currency]. The recipe in the game requires you to make three cups of coffee, which you can do by harvesting coffee beans during the spring and summer. The Triple Shot Espresso gives your character a boost in speed, which can come in handy when you’re battling monsters in the mines or trying to make it back to your farm before your character faints at 2 a.m. The boost lasts four minutes and 12 seconds.
If you’re craving a similar boost in real life, now you can get it. Game creator Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone and author, Ryan Novak, launched The Official Stardew Valley Cookbook earlier this year, allowing you to recreate all your favorite recipes from the game, including none other than, the Triple Shot Espresso.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need:
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 3 green cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 cups of dark-roast espresso beans
- 4 cups of cold filtered water
First, you’ll want to break your cinnamon sticks and put them in a coffee grinder with your cloves and cardamom pods. Grind them until they’re smaller but not finely milled. Afterward, dump the mixture into a half-gallon container.
Next, move on to your espresso beans. You’ll want to do a medium-fine grind in small amounts until it looks coarse like the salt you see on the pretzel bites at Auntie Anne’s. I recommend doing half a cup at a time. Once that’s done, add it to your container along with 4 cups of water.
Put the container in the fridge and let it steep for 18 to 24 hours. If you really want a rich concentrate, then definitely do the full 24 hours.
After it’s steeped, line a large mesh strainer with a coffee filter and place it over a large bowl. Pour the liquid and coffee grounds into the coffee filter while allowing it to strain gradually. Once it’s strained, get rid of the coffee grounds. Pour the espresso concentrate into a bottle or jar that has a lid.
Now you have your Triple Shot Espresso. Pour it into a mug of choice and enjoy. When not in use, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 14 days.