All Things Coffee for this Spring

Spring is here and iced coffee is the drink of the season! Prepare yourself for coffee ice cubes, flowery flavors and wellbeing.

As the seasons change, be ready for new flavors coming to all of your local and chain coffee cafes. Lavender is one of the biggest and newest flavors being added to cafe menus. Some think it's flowery, some think it tastes like soap. I guess you can't knock it 'til you try it. I personally like to mix vanilla and lavender into my iced lattes. I think it enhances the ordinary vanilla coffee by adding a spritz of spring and garden to your drink. I know, it sounds weird to say you can taste the garden, but once you try it, you'll know exactly what I am talking about.

Dunkin Donuts is extending the St. Patrick's Day celebration by bringing back its Irish Creme espresso drinks (St. Patrick’s Day Wish Granted: Dunkin’ Brings Back Irish Creme Flavored Coffees and Espresso Drinks, news.dunkindonuts.com). The Irish coffee blend is a fan favorite and is one of the most wished for flavors to be brought back into stores. Fans can end their five-year withdrawal now that Dunkin Donuts is putting Irish Creme syrup back on the menu!

I'm sure you've kept up with every coffee-loving-snob who has posted and reviewed the Cloud Macchiato from Starbucks. As the franchise introduced a foam heavy drink topped off with espresso, consumers became coffee bloggers before their first sip. Social media accounts (including @thecoffeesnob.tcs) blew up with posts of the cloud foam and aesthetic drink. Starbucks has started and maintained a trend for the new macchiato to be served hot or cold, the choice is up to you! (What Are The New Starbucks Spring Drinks? They're The Perfect Seasonal Pick-Me-Up, elitedaily.com). Now, consumers can have the same drink two ways. This temperature savvy brew is perfect for spring: when the weather can't make up its mind, you still can - a cold drink for the hot days and a hot drink for the cold days. I think Starbucks is onto something!

Also moving forward with the new menu, Starbucks is trying to keep up with the status quo to promote healthy living. By substituting almond milk and coconut milk for regular or whole, consumers are choosing healthier steps. The desire to be healthy is especially important as summer is just on the horizon. After hibernation and holiday season, any healthy option is better than none. Starbucks introduced the Cinnamon Almondmilk Macchiato and the Coconutmilk Mocha Macchiato on February 28th to start off the spring season (Starbucks Just Announced 2 New Drinks for Spring and We Low Key Can't Wait to Try Them, dailybreak.com). These new drinks have the genuine coffee construct with a subtle twist in finish and flair.

Local coffee shops are my favorite to venture into to explore their seasonal menus. Through discovery on Pinterest, it looks like coconut and lavender are the top contenders for flavoring spring coffees. With the desire to be healthy and get that summer bod you've been dreaming of, lavender allows consumers to gain the feeling of balance and wellness. Some benefits of lavender include diminishing anxiety, promoting peace and reducing tension (Lavender Lavandula angustifolia, doterra.com). When mixed with espresso, the body internalizes the lavender and brings a great taste to compliment the already bitter espresso while also complementing the body and mind. Coconut is the tropical dream brought to you. As you sip a drink and get that coffee finish, you are reminded that summer is right around the corner. Be tropical and trendy with your iced coffee in hand!

Lastly, forget about hot drinks! Iced coffee is the drink of the season for all caffeinated beverages. Cafes are not only getting creative with their flavor mixings, but with the crafting of the beverage too. No one likes a watered down coffee, especially The Coffee Snob. Coffee ice cubes are rare, but extremely fascinating to the consumer and exciting to find. The newest trend is procuring ice cubes out of coffee - fill up an ice tray with coffee and stick it in the freezer. Easy enough right? Keep your eye out for these cubes, like I said they are few and far between! As of May 2017, Starbucks put the Coffee Ice on their secret menu - something that is not advertised but available upon request - I just figured this out! (OMG Starbucks Is Making Coffee Even Stronger With Coffee Ice, cosmopolitan.com). The ice cube appeal is just an 80 cent splurge for the experience of a lifetime.

What trends have you noticed in the coffee industry? Do you like the new change? Follow @thecoffeesnob.tcs on social media and leave a comment!

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