Luke's Diner Autumn Coffee: The Unofficial Gilmore Girls Herbal Recipe
If there’s one thing Luke Danes is known for (besides wearing a backwards baseball cap), it’s his knack for serving the best, strongest cup of coffee in Stars Hollow. So how could he possibly up his game for the coziest season of all? We've crafted the ultimate cozy Luke's Diner Autumn Coffee—a herbal spiced, deeply flavored blend with chicory root that’s perfect for watching the leaves change.
How to Brew the Perfect Cozy Gilmore Girls Cuppa
This blend is rich with herbs that offer delicious flavor starting with Luke’s inspired addition of nutmeg. In the Double Date episode, Luke adds this very spice to his brew one evening. With the addition of a big glug of half & half to her mug, Lorelai is a fan:
“Luke! That is an exceptionally good batch of coffee,” exclaimed Lorelai.
“Yeah?”
“Hello!” she said.
“I added a little nutmeg,” he explained.
“Really? That’s very Richard Simmons of you. ”
We know that beyond serving exceptional coffee, Luke also keeps an eye out for the health of his Stars Hollow customers. He even encourages his favorite Gilmore Girls to partake in a vegetable here and there, as well as to drink tea or something other than constant mugs of coffee. Luke’s Diner Autumn Coffee helps blend his cause deliciously with the addition of herbs that are used to support the body especially during the transition to autumn. Going from summer to autumn can bring challenges to the body. Shorter days, drier air, and increased exposure to germs can be tough, especially in the brisk New England weather." But Luke Danes would be ready!
The spices included in Luke’s blend are traditional sweet, warming spices, along with a big dose of roasted chicory root. These herbs add tasty notes to dishes along with gently warming the body, helping to support digestion and increase circulation. They are the perfect autumn spice.
Luke's Diner Cozy Autumn Blend Recipe
Spiced and cozy, but not too cozy.
This recipe will make two big mugs of coffee in a drip coffee pot. Adjust for your favorite brewing method.
Ingredients
24 ounces water
27 grams coffee, (Coffea arabica), ground
9 grams roasted chicory root (Cichorium intybus L.), ground
¼ teaspoon cinnamon (Cinnamomum spp.), ground
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), ground
⅛ teaspoon allspice (Pimenta dioica), ground
⅛ teaspoon vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) extract per mug, optional
Half & half or non-dairy alternative to taste, optional
Brown sugar to taste, optional
Directions
Weigh out your coffee grounds and chicory root into a coffee filter using freshly ground coffee beans if possible.
Measure the spices and add to the blend.
Give it a little stir to incorporate the coffee, chicory, and spices together.
Put the filled coffee filter into the coffee filter area of your coffee pot and add the water to the reservoir.
Brew your coffee up and enjoy! We like to add vanilla, half & half along with a small spoonful of brown sugar, delicious!
Why Chicory Root is the Secret to Luke's Herbal Coffee Blend
In the episode Super Cool Party People, Caesar covers the diner while Luke is out of town and starts sharing chicory coffee with the residents of Stars Hollow.
When Luke gets back some changes have been made including the addition of chicory coffee to via a sign hanging behind the counter. Kirk orders a cup of chicory coffee from Luke. Luke takes the sign down in his grumpy sort of way and refuses Kirk’s order. But if Caesar had filled Luke in on the benefits and flavor of chicory root in coffee? Well perhaps it would have been on the menu all along.
Chicory root comes from a weedy type plant that you may have seen growing in a field near you. The flowers are a cheery, bright blue. Some cultures enjoy adding chicory root to coffee and it can even be used as a coffee substitute. Chicory is in the same plant family as dandelion and burdock (the Asteraceae family) and shares some similarities in effect on the body such as providing prebiotic inulin and stimulation to the liver, gallbladder, and urinary system as a diuretic.
Chicory can replace some of the coffee beans too which lowers the overall caffeine content of the final brew. And the flavor of roasted chicory root in coffee can help to round out the bitter edge of coffee and incorporate spices into the blend as well! Delish.
What do you think?
References
Gilmore Girls, created by Amy Sherman-Palladino, Warner Bros. Television, 2000–2007.
McIntyre, A. (1996). Flower Power: Flower Remedies for Healing Body and Soul through Herbalism, Homeopathy, Aromatherapy, and Flower Essences. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Co.
Street, R. A., Sidana, J., Prinsloo, G. (2013). Cichorium intybus: Traditional Uses, Phytochemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. doi: 10.1155/2013/579319