Page 39 - the Noise November 2017

Last month, i tried to dissect side of more flavor.
and describe the average cafe menu board to bridge the gap between customer and Barista. i left off saying i’d dive into flavored and syrup based beverages a little. So here we go...
A harvest of flavor.
it’s Fall, and in most cafes around America, that means Pumpkin Spice Lattes are in season. i’ve always loved this time of year and being able to taste my coffee to boot, but over the years, i’ve found myself stray- ing away from average syrups like “Pumpkin Pie” because there’s just too many additives and artificial in- gredients. Many cafes are now mak-
ing up their own syrups to achieve this Fall flavor, using natural ingredients like squash, pie filling, cinnamon and many other spices. My vote would be for you to try a more natural means of tasting the spice of the season by simply adding maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon to your coffee.
“Gimme some sugar baby!”
One of my favorite lines from Bruce Campbell in Evil Dead. He meant it, and so do most large-scale syrup manufacturers. Your average Vanilla, Caramel and Hazelnut syrups are a base of sugar and water, with natural and artificial ingredients. There’s a plethora of flavors and flavor combinations available out there. i think i saw S’more syrup available somewhere this past Summer. Oh yeah, gimme a squirt of that ol’ campfire favorite into my latte at 7AM! Thank goodness many cafes are buying syrups from smaller companies that are using alternative sweeteners, often using less sugar in general and airing on the
i’m an even bigger fan of house-made syrups that are made by reducing natural in- gredients like berries and fruits together, or by macerating herbs, spices or other ingre- dients together over a period of time. By using these kinds of methods, one only needs to add a minimal amount of sweetener to round out the flavor profile of choice. Honey, maple syrup and agave are tasty choices for avoiding white sugar. Alternatively, going for more of a savory taste using salt can steer us in a whole other direction that can be unexpectedly satisfactory to the taste buds.
Flavor Flav
in my mind, public enemy number one is the addition of additives to syrups that are not so healthy for us in the long run, especially if its in a beverage that you consume at least once a day. Ask your local cafe what kind of chocolate they use in their Mochas, or what kind of chai they use for Chai Lattes. is it a syrup, or a loose tea base? Let’s en- courage each other to make wiser consumer choices, shall we? There are so many great options becoming more readily available these days, so we shan’t sell ourselves short any longer.
Speaking of coffee
There are so many conversations to be had about our favorite morning beverage, cof- fee. i’d like to encourage you all to contact me via email (dylan@thenoise.us) with any questions or comments about these articles as we start heading towards 2018.
i’d also like to invite you to the NORAZ Barista Jam on November 11 at 5PM. indian Gardens Cafe & Market in Oak Creek Canyon will be hosting the event, and there will be many opportunities to talk about coffee, learn more, and engage with industry professionals about the craft.
i hope to have some wonderful conversations with all of you who can make it. Baristas and cafe owners are encouraged to attend the event and participate in the Latte Art Throwdown portion of the event. Prizes and giveaways will abound!
Until next month, happy sipping ...
39 • NOVEMBER 2017 | the NOISE arts & news | www.thenoise.us