Non-Syrup Flavoring
I was wondering if anyone has experimented with or uses means of flavoring lattes/other espresso drinks with anything other than syrups?
I'm not absolutely opposed to the idea, but I am a bit turned off by the thought of artificial flavoring. Does anyone else feel this way?
I'm not absolutely opposed to the idea, but I am a bit turned off by the thought of artificial flavoring. Does anyone else feel this way?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Robert Kittle on
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I have to admit, I do really like the taste of espresso with honey.
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Permalink Reply by Mike M on
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I haven't tried honey yet, but it's on the list of to do's!
What about vanilla, mocha, peppermint (for the holiday season)? What about caramel, hazelnut, etc?
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Permalink Reply by Lorenzo Perkins on
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Make your own syrups. You have control over flavor and ingredients.
Finely chopped single origin chocolate pieces are fun for new/different tasting mochas. Add some ancho/chipotle powder for a mexican mocha. Steam your milk with mint leaves (in tea balls) for peppermint mochas.
Pretty much anything you can eat, you can put in coffee. Will it always taste good? No. But that's the fun part.
Bottom line, find REAL ingredients and your imagination is the limit.
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Lorenzo - I like your thinking! Could you explain in a little more detail how you've experimented with such ingredients? Did you have to stir the chocolate in to the drink after pouring the coffee/espresso?
I'm also very interested to hear more about the peppermint mochas. Mmmmm!
Has anyone tried anything with vanilla? Vanilla extract perhaps?
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Permalink Reply by Jared Rutledge on
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i make vanilla syrup from scratch. just make some simple syrup (half raw sugar and half hot water) then split some vanilla beans down the middle and simmer them in the syrup for a while. usually about 6-7 beans per litre works for me. tastes amazing. cheaper than crappy monin or whatever too.
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I'm going to give that a whirl as soon as I'm back in the US! How do you know how long to keep the beans simmer in the syrup?
Have you tried this method with other ingredients?
Jared Rutledge said:i make vanilla syrup from scratch. just make some simple syrup (half raw sugar and half hot water) then split some vanilla beans down the middle and simmer them in the syrup for a while. usually about 6-7 beans per litre works for me. tastes amazing. cheaper than crappy monin or whatever too.
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Permalink Reply by Cash Reynolds on
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Yeah, I feel the same way about the standard syrups out there on the market. The quality doesn't seem to match the quality of the coffee & espresso were brewing. I like Lorenzo & Jared's idea of making your own syrups. Also, one of my favorite local shops uses their own award-winning chocolate ganach(thick sauce) for drinks. And some other alternatives to syrup in making more flavorful coffee & espresso is to offer an extensive condiment bar where customers can grind fresh chicory,cinnamon or nutmeg into or on their drinks. And if you wanna get real crazy you can taste milks from different local suppliers to find who has the sweetest milk(usually a higher fat content & more expensive) some milk brands can have a sweet vanilla-y tase to them. Or you could infuse any sweet spices or ground root into your espresso shot for flavor & then use raw sugar mixed into the drink to sweeten it and bring out the flavor of your chosen spice. -Cash
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You can buy pepermint extract & experiment with it & crush peppermint candy canes to top drinks. Also maybe try a real caramel sauce instead of a syrup, maybe home-made?
Michael Morand said:I haven't tried honey yet, but it's on the list of to do's!
What about vanilla, mocha, peppermint (for the holiday season)? What about caramel, hazelnut, etc?
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Permalink Reply by Aaron Oman on
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You can use anything you want. i use real pumpkin for a pumpkin latte. and making your own syrups is totally an awesome way to come up with something unique, and quick to make on the fly. I love to make chocolate sauces with chiles. Just give your recipies some love. synthetic syrups just seem a little outdated to me. Customers everywhere are more and more looking for quality ingredients.
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michael, i just simmer to taste. like 15-45 mins. this last batch i left the beans in the syrup in the fridge. before that i packed them in raw sugar to make vanilla sugar once i was done with them.
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Some great ideas in here! Thank you all for sharing.
I personally have not had a very rich cooking experience growing up, so am truly 'starting from scratch' when it comes to cooking for the sake of drink development. Is anyone aware of drink cook books that includes homemade solutions to questions like this?
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Michael Morand said:Lorenzo - I like your thinking! Could you explain in a little more detail how you've experimented with such ingredients? Did you have to stir the chocolate in to the drink after pouring the coffee/espresso?
I'm also very interested to hear more about the peppermint mochas. Mmmmm!
Has anyone tried anything with vanilla? Vanilla extract perhaps?
I just try to find the nuanced flavors in my coffee, and think of other flavors that would pair well with what I taste. If my espresso tastes of chocolate, maybe a raspberry compote. Fruity espresso? Try making a Lavender Syrup Latte. DON'T I repeat DON'T just add more chocolate to a chocolate-ish espresso, or more fruit to a fruity espresso. Compliment, Contrast, Compare . . . play the flavors off of one another rather than add more of a flavor to the cup. The experience will be so much richer and more enjoyable with the added complexity.
When using a fine SO chocolate, yes, cut up the choco and put it in the bottom of your cup. Pull the espresso over the choco and use a small whisk like this one to mix the ingredients. Finish with milk or other ingredients.
Infusing flavors into your milk is easy to do on the fly, but it takes practice. Using a teaball like this one, you can put herbs and spices and whatever else you want into it and then with the teaball in the milk pitcher steam your milk. Pull out the teaball and VOILA! Infused milk ready to be poured into a drink. And better yet . . . no waste!
Look at taking some saucier classes from a local culinary institute or Whole Foods cooking class to get your mind thinking in this direction. Also, local bartenders, not the Appletini kind but the ones who make Manhattans and Old Fashions and Martinez, are a great resource to tinker around with flavor profiles and mixology.
But remember. In the end, it should be all about showcasing the nuances and awesomeness of your coffee. Don't hide the flavors behind 16 oz of milk and a ton of sugary stuff. First and foremost, make your espresso sing, THEN find other ingredients to be the harmonizing chorus in the background. What good is a choir if all you hear is noise and bedlam?
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