Christmas is coming, and it’s a great time of year to be running a coffee business!
Customer coffee tastes change with the seasons, and as the Christmas season arrives, it’s time to revamp the menu and add some warm, comforting and calorific coffees to your offering.
The flavoured latte is the undisputed king of Christmas coffee. Here’s a list of our favourite festive lattes, including 5 classic combinations, perfect for maximising sales over the Christmas period.
Gingerbread latte
A classic Christmas coffee made popular by a certain Seattle-based coffee giant which shall remain nameless!
The gingerbread latte is always going to be a big seller, and it’s easy to see why – the festive flavours of this favourite Christmas treat work fantastically well with coffee.
A pre-bought gingerbread syrup is fine to provide the basic flavours, but you’ll also want to add a pinch of nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and half a teaspoon of vanilla powder to take your in-house version to the next level.
Cinnamon latte
In the past few years, cinnamon lattes have gone mainstream – once available only at Christmas, you can now get them all year round.
You can use a pre-bought syrup, but to set your cinnamon latte apart from the crowd, it’s best to make your own. Combine sugar, water, ground cinnamon and some fresh vanilla pods together, and heat gently in a pan, whisking constantly, until your syrup is ready.
Add to your latte as normal, and finish the drink with a drizzle of maple syrup on top and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. Delicious!
Salted caramel latte
Salted caramel is definitely on trend, and you can capitalise on its popularity by adding the flavours to your latte menu this Christmas.
Whilst you can get some nice salted caramel syrups, you can get the same effect by blending some runny honey, butter and a pinch of sea salt together, then adding to your latte recipe.
Add a drizzle of honey to the top of your latte, then a few big flakes of sea salt as a final flourish.
Peppermint mocha latte
Sweet, fragrant and comforting, a peppermint mocha latte is the perfect reward after a hard day’s Christmas shopping.
To create the perfect peppermint chocolate syrup, you’ll need peppermint extract and a high quality dark chocolate syrup. Go careful with the peppermint – add too much, and your syrup may end up tasting more like toothpaste!
Finish the drink with a big blob of whipped cream and some dark chocolate shavings for a fantastic winter warmer.
Eggnog latte
Eggnog has never really caught on in the UK in the same way as it has in the US, but this comforting and calorific concoction goes really well with a latte!
Avoid eggnog syrups – they simply don’t work as well as the real thing. Although you can buy pre-made eggnog, creating your own is actually really easy, and if you’re making it for a latte, it’s best to make an alcohol-free recipe.
Mix 2/3 eggnog with 1/3 milk, then steam as normal, before adding to your latte, then finish with some freshly ground nutmeg sprinkled over the top.
