My Butter Doesn't Come In French Vanilla Flavor - How coffee is becoming the new beverage to alter

Jan. 29, 2015

Do you remember the days of clear Pepsi?  How about when Coca-Cola tried a combination Coke and Coffee in a shelf-stable container? For years soft drink manufacturers have been trying to reinvent this reigning beverage. Well, now it’s coffee’s turn.

Preparation craze

People are challenging how the average person views coffee, especially its preparation. The most astounding example of this has to be Bulletproof coffee invented by Dave Asprey. He mixes two tablespoons of butter (from a grass-fed cow) with some brain enhancing oil to a cup of coffee and calls it energizing. One of my colleagues, upon hearing this said, “My butter doesn’t come in French Vanilla flavor – sorry.” Obviously she won’t be trying it. I might. Regardless, it got me thinking about the trends I’ve been seeing in coffee the last few years.

Iced coffee is certainly a trend worth mentioning. While the concept has been around for decades, in the U.S. it seems to have started growing rapidly beginning in 2009 with young people flocking to the drink in recent years. Around 15 percent of the population consumes iced beverages daily according to Foodnavigator.  About the same percentage enjoys coffee made as a latte, followed by cappuccinos or other gourmet drinks.

Iced coffee itself has undergone changes in the past few years. Manufacturers have started using fruit pairings to drive sales in addition to flavors such as coconut cream and pumpkin spice. It’s not just about creating the “cool drink,” but associating it with a season or unique flavor.

Cold brew coffee, which is not iced coffee, but actually closer to a coffee concentrate, is also enjoying time in the spotlight. It is made with coffee grounds seeped in room temperature or cold water for 12 hours. Once used in cooking, and in the creation of iced beverages by upscale coffeehouses, cold brew is now enjoyed plain and at room temperature. Offices are bringing it in on tap to breakrooms and retailers are carrying it by the growler or keg.

Can you taste the hint of...

I find it especially interesting that it’s not just what is being added to coffee, but also what can be detected in it. The new third-wave of coffee roasters and drinkers are using words like “tasting notes” which were once relegated to wine connoisseurs. Artisan craftsmanship has come to the coffee category. Many see it developing the same way that wine has, which propels coffee to a higher level, and price point. Independent coffee shops built on this idea of “tasting” coffee are opening across the nation and making their coffee available everywhere from high-end restaurants to OCS providers. Where the coffee is sourced and its sustainability are quite important to this new coffee drinker, a trend that I believe will continue to grow in 2015.

There are already so many variations of this drink, it’s no wonder today’s consumer, obsessed with individuality, craves it. For OCS providers it’s important to understand where the coffee trend is going and find a way to balance artisan tastes with the core coffee drinker who likes convenience and value. It will drive sales in the coming year.