New Year, New Coffee Trends for 2019
Coffee is on the rise, becoming intertwined with British culture more as the years go by – now over 80% of people visit a coffee shop weekly, as of 2018.
The average age of coffee consumers is lowering too, meaning that coffee shops need to appeal to a widening age demographic compared to previously, if they want to capitalise on the growing demand for coffee drinks.
And the definition of coffee drinks is also ever-expanding, potentially to the dismay of die-hard espresso aficionados. Sweeter, creamier and sometimes colder coffee drinks are on the rise, with flavoured Lattes, iced coffee drinks and coffee shakes becoming more popular.
Expanding even more on the definition of a coffee drink, speciality drinks like cold brew, butter coffee and non-dairy coffee drinks are also gaining popularity, the latter substituting milk for soy milk, almond milk or lactose free milk.
Whether you want to focus on the core coffee products, or keep up the the latest trends, it’s worth being aware of what’s happening with coffee drinks around the world.
Frappe (Iced or Chilled Coffee Drinks)
As the age demographic for coffee drinkers lowers over time, Frappe and other sweet/creamy coffee drinks are increasing in popularity. These drinks usually shield the usual coffee tastes with sweeter flavours and creamier textures.
Cold Brew
The process of slowly infusing coffee and cold water over a period of time, producing a smoother, less-bitter tasting drink from the beans. The brewing process extracts the caffeine, sugar, and oil from coffee beans.
Carbonated Coffee/Coffee Soda
A relatively new (and slightly unusual) trend we’ve seen is coffee soda, or alternatively – “Carbonated Coffee”. This is exactly what it sounds like, typically a shot of espresso combined with carbonated water.
Cascara Tea/Coffee Cherry Tea
For those who didn’t know, Cascara is the the name for the cherry fruit – and the cascara (husk) of the fruit can be used to create coffee cherry tea, producing a sweet, cherry-like flavour.
Mushroom Coffee
An unusual entry, but something worth knowing about nethertheless. These drinks use specific species of mushroom that have the potential to boost immune systems – created by liquefying and drying different types of mushrooms to make an extract which is mixed with a coffee blend.
Butter Coffee
Just the name above will make some people excited to try it, and others perhaps feel a little bit uneasy about the idea. Known to actually be quite delicious, butter coffee is the careful mixture of creamy butter with your coffee. It is known to taste quite delicious, as well as giving a slow release of energy.
And it doesn’t end there, as coffee is enjoyed worldwide, various ideas and trends emerge – creating a whole new world of tastes to explore. We’ll be writing about them in our blog throughout 2019.