1. SUPER COFFEE
Turmeric lattes…
If you haven’t heard of the turmeric latte then where have you been hiding these past few months?! More commonly known for being an ingredient in some curries, and for it’s trademark gorgeous golden yellow hue, turmeric is being hailed as the new ‘super-ingredient’ due to its anti-inflammatory and cognitive boosting properties. Add this amazing ingredient to your daily brew and you’re all set for the busy day ahead. Using either fresh or dried tumeric, sugar and milk, blend altogether and there’s your super-drink ready! Watch this space for a blog post detailing exactly how to make a turmeric latte at home, coming soon…
FYI: you can buy some of the fabulous Golden Turmeric Elixir that we stock both online and at our Shrewsbury roastery here! This Elixir is a blend of turmeric, ginger, black pepper, cinnamon, and organic vanilla, is easy to use, and is utterly delicious both hot and cold.
Matcha…
Maybe turmeric just isn’t your thing? Well perhaps a bright green coffee is more up your street? Say hello to the matcha coffee! Another drink which has been getting a lot of attention recently, matcha is basically a green tea- but with a hell of a lot more antioxidants, and therefore a healthier option for the more health-conscious out there! It’s basically a finely ground powder made from whole Japanese green tea leaves- this being the key detail as the drinker is ingesting 100% of its powerful nutrients. As well as speeding up the metabolism process, it’s also believed to give more of a slow-releasing and longer-lasting caffeine hit to drinkers, thanks to containing the amino acid L-Theanine. You can buy matcha powder from most health food shops, and to make it’s extremely simple: just whisk hot milk and the matcha together, and voila! Time to feel smug and content amongst your coffee drinking friends!
2. NITRO COFFEE AND COLD BREW COFFEE
With the current UK heatwave looking like it’s not leaving any time soon, it’s no surprise that the popularity of cold coffee drinks has experienced a boom this summer. You may have seen both nitro coffee and cold-brew coffee being advertised in the chain coffee shops on your local high street, but what exactly are they? Well, nitro coffee is essentially coffee that has been stored in a keg, pressurised and then poured from a tap. Think: Guinness! (it even looks a bit like it too). The result is a smoother and creamier drink. Cold brew coffee, on the other hand, is coffee that has been infused with cold water for up to 24 hours to produce a smoother drink with less acidity and bitterness, ideal for those of us who find regular coffee just a bit too intense. Read more about cold-brew coffee on our recent blog post here.
3. EXTREME LATTE ART
If you’re an Instagram addict or consider yourself a bit of a hipster then you’ll probably know what we’re on about, but don’t worry if not! Latte art is something that’s been around for ages, but EXTREME latte art has become the new thing amongst the coffee connoisseurs and baristas amongst us. Think 3D animals (our favourite is George Latteart from Japan- his latte cats are amazing), colourful foam and even edible glitter.
4. MUSHROOM COFFEE
Yes, you HAVE read that correctly. Mushroom coffee has now become a thing thanks to Finnish founders Four Sigmatic, and according to these guys it is far superior to the regular stuff due to it being more rich and mellow, as well as boosting brain power and being more gentle to the stomach. It apparently is the perfect balance to energy-boosting caffeine as the mushrooms used regulate blood sugar and boost metabolism. Long has mushroom been used in leading skin care, so perhaps having it in our coffee isn’t so peculiar after all?! You never know, you may find Iron and Fire stocking this strange stuff sometime soon…
5. NON DAIRY/VEGAN MILKS
Not so much a ‘trend’ or even ‘new’ for that matter, non dairy milks have seen a huge boost in sales the last few years, and when it comes to coffee, the variety of options are seemingly endless. Soya, oat, rice, coconut, hemp, almond, hazelnut… the list goes on and on. Using non-dairy milk is obviously a great idea for those of us who are vegan or suffer with dairy/lactose allergies, but according to many experts, plant based milks are healthier for us and contain many more vitamins and antioxidants than cow’s milk. There are some milks that perform better in a coffee than others- we’ve found our favourite to be oat milk: so creamy just like cow’s milk, but also doesn’t split when used in hot drinks!
We would love to hear which of these trends that our customers have tried out, and whether you loved or hated them! We’re always up for a friendly chat so please pop into our Shrewsbury based roastery next time you’re passing and come and meet us 🙂
