Monday, December 5, 2011

Notes from a barista: Holiday drinks

latte-art

Has anyone else noticed that the current accessorizing trend in the fashion blogging world appears to be that famous red cup from Starbucks?

Who doesn't love a great holiday drink in brisk weather?!

Although I don't work at Starbucks, I love being a barista at a local coffee shop inside my church.  We may not have red cups, but we've been serving up a lot of holiday goodness lately. 

We all know the traditional winter favorites: peppermint mocha, chai latte, and so on and so forth, but one of the best parts of being a barista is getting to concoct your own drinks.  So I thought I'd share some of the drinks my coworkers and I have been brewing up this season.  They're sure to warm you from the inside out!

First up, variations on chai...

Gingerbread Chai
A traditional chai latte with a shot of gingerbread.  This is one of my favorites!

Spiced Eggnog Latte
There's a couple different ways to make this one.  If you go to a place that uses real eggnog for their eggnog lattes, have the barista make a chai latte with eggnog instead of milk.  My cafe uses an eggnog syrup, so we simply make a traditional chai latte with a shot of eggnog syrup.  This has been a customer favorite lately.

Next, variations on mocha...

S'more Latte
A traditional mocha with a shot of toasted marshmallow and gingerbread syrup.  All you'll need is a campfire!

Pumpkin Spice White Mocha
A white mocha with a shot of pumpkin spice syrup.  So good!

Vanilla Peppermint Mocha
To me, vanilla tastes good in just about any coffee drink.  Switch up your usual peppermint mocha routine by substituting half the usual peppermint with vanilla.

Lattes...

Pumpkin Pie Latte
A breve latte with shots of cinnamon and pumpkin spice.  It's like pumpkin pie!

Vanilla Peppermint Latte
Same as the mocha, minus the chocolate.

Tea...

Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea
To me, this is the perfect cold weather drink.  I add a little bit of honey and just a spot of milk - perfection!  Not all cafes carry Harney & Sons tea, but you can buy it here.  (The Winter White Earl Grey is fabulous, too!)

Let me know if you try any of these concoctions!  What sounds like your favorite?

 


3 inclinations:

Rebekah said...[Reply to comment]

I am so ordering a gingerbread chai tomorrow! I also told my husband about the pumpkin spice white mocha, and he was all about that. Thanks for the suggestions!

januarysublime said...[Reply to comment]

These all sound so delicious, they are making us hungry!
JS xx

http://januarysublime.com

Jazzy E (Hivenn) said...[Reply to comment]

So in love with this post. x hivenn

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