Because coffee has a certain bitterness in its most natural form, it could be said that coffee?s an acquired taste. However, with a bit of milk or sugar added, coffee is one of the most popular drinks in the world. The reasoning behind flavored coffees is the same: Take a product with natural caffeine and health benefits and add some sweetness or flavor to create a different dimension. It?s no surprise that the amount of coffee flavors continues to increase on a regular basis.
Previously, the most popular flavor to be added to coffee was chocolate (often called mocha) in cafes. Adding chocolate to coffee was a natural progression, especially in European cafes which primarily serve espresso. Hot chocolate is usually on the menu, so making the cafe mocha is just an added ingredient away. Beyond the now-ubiquitous caf? mocha, it is by no means uncommon to see different types of syrups added to coffee drinks. Many syrups, like amaretto or Irish cr?me, mimic the flavors of liqueurs, a more traditional form of coffee flavoring. Others are added as shots to coffee drinks in the way bartenders would make a cocktail.
Beyond that, coffee flavors have been taken all the way back to the bean itself. Coffee is now available in whole bean form in flavors such as hazelnut and mocha. The coffee drinker has to be aware that coffee simply cannot be grown in different flavors, so any way the gets the flavor must by nature be artificial (though the ingredients don?t have to be). If you see coffee being offered in machines with different flavors, you can be assured that you are not getting a natural brew.
Besides the most basic coffee flavors, you can find pistachio, white chocolate, almond, orange and more topping the list at cafes right there with hazelnut or mocha. In fact, if there is a flavor that can conceivably be matched up with coffee, you will find it, maybe even in organic form.
Coffee flavors like chocolate do have an authentic element to them, as chocolate has been produced in powder and syrup form for some time. Production methods need not always spoil the natural intentions.
Intense coffee drinks that have elements like pumpkin and cinnamon may seem more like a winter cider than coffee, yet they have become extremely popular.
For coffee drinkers who are experimenting with different flavors and concoctions, you should remember that caffeine is generally the ingredient with the biggest impact in traditional coffee. When you are adding elements like whipped cream, syrups and powders, the fat and sugar content in your drink could rise considerably.
For daily coffee drinkers who see an espresso or black coffee as a staple of life, it is unlikely that a variety of flavors and embellishments on the classic form will be appealing. For others with a notable sweet tooth, the different flavors will add a new wrinkle to the idea of coffee.
Damian Papworth, a coffee purist, has recently been investigating 4 cup coffee makers. He recorded his analysis on the One Cup Coffee Makers site.
