"I wanna put on, my (my my my) boogies shoes."
-"Boogie Shoes" by KC & The Sunshine Band
I made a new playlist for my (short) drive to school called "Morning werk." Hahaha. I grooved to this song this morning. Hopefully I'm not blinding too many people when I'm gettin my groove on in my car.
So instead of doing my usual "oh, my life is boring, school is hard, I never see my husband, etc, etc, etc" stuff... I'm gonna talk coffee.
Or... coffee shop.
I've worked in coffee shops for 2 1/2 years, and while I am by no means an expert, I know more than your average Joe about how (most of) these places work. One thing I've discovered his how much most people don't know when they come in to order at a coffee shop. Part of the problem, I know, is that I live in Kansas. A lot of people just drink straight coffee, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. But for those who are looking to expand their ordering horizons at coffee shops, I come bearing some fun info.
Latte vs. Cappuccino
All right... One of the questions I get most often is, "What is the difference between a latte and a cappuccino?" The short answer is that cappuccinos have a lot more foam. When baristas steam milk for lattes, we only make a little foam, so the drink is mostly steamed milk with just a little foamy goodness on top. With cappuccinos, we "expand" the milk a lot more... introduce more air to make more foam, and as a result, cappuccinos are mainly foam. They both contain the same number of espresso shots, can have flavors added, and everything... it just depends on what your taste is. Some people can't stand foam, but others love the foam. For me, it depends on the day. Try it and see!
Mochas
Mochas... amazing-ness in a cup if you ask me. A mocha (Caf(f)e Mocha, Mocha Latte, etc...) is a latte with chocolate flavoring. There's also White Chocolate Mochas, which are sweeter than their dark or milk chocolate counterparts. If you're looking for an inbetween, just ask the barista to make a Black & White Mocha, or a Zebra Mocha. Most will know what you're talking about. If they give you a confused look, just say you want dark and white chocolate. It should not be a problem.
Add-Ons (at a price...)
To me... one of the best parts of working in a cafe is experimenting. But you don't have to work in one to experiment! All cafes have an array of different syrups that you can put in any drink. Most popular are Vanilla Lattes, Hazelnut Lattes and Caramel Lattes. But you don't have to stop there... ask the barista what other flavors they have. One of my favorite drinks is a Vanilla Mocha. We have a drink at work called the Creme Brulee, which is a breve (defined below) with white chocolate, caramel and vanilla. It is heavenly. Moral of the story? Mix it up!
Other add-ons include extra espresso shots (for that extra kick), soy milk (for us poor lactose intolerant people), breve (a latte, but made with 1/2 & 1/2... very smooth. Not so good for you, but it is worth it. No question.), & extra flavor shots. Prices for these usually run between an extra $0.40 and $0.60.
Other (important) Info...
- A caramel macchiato does not really have much caramel on it. It's a layered drink (meaning we don't stir it unless you ask) with vanilla on the bottom, then milk on top of that, then the espresso gets poured through the top. The only caramel on top is the caramel that's drizzled on top.
- Chai Tea Lattes are different at pretty much every place you go. Between all the coffee shops here in town, one has a powder, one has a syrup, one uses real tea, and one uses a tea concentrate. So just a heads up that they might all taste similar, but they won't taste the same. They're pretty much good regardless of where you go, though. I'm not a tea fan, and I love these. Though, there is no espresso in it. That's a misconception because of the "latte" part... all that means is it's made with milk instead of water. Try adding vanilla, caramel, chocolate, or even espresso to your chai tea latte.
- Please, do not be afraid to ask questions. Besides being there to actually make drinks, baristas are pretty knowledgeable about what they're doing... Or at least they're supposed to be. Take it easy if they're new at it.
- There are just about an infinite number of options of drink possibilities. If you like Snickers, try a hazelnut mocha. Almond joy? Almond & coconut mocha. If you don't like it, then you know for next time.
- You don't have to stick to the menu when it comes to drinks, but check your sizes. I work at a "Small, Medium, Large" cafe... so when I hear "Tall, Grande, Venti", I have to stop and think. And I know Starbucks rules the world, but they're not always called "Frappuccinos".
Which... I think frozen drinks deserve their own post some other time. I just endured a summer of frozen drinks, and broke part of a blender because of them... I don't wanna talk about them. =)
Phew. Long post. I know there was a lot more I wanted to say, but my hunger has gotten the better of me. Does anyone have any questions about coffee shops?? Please feel free to ask. There are no stupid questions.
Must... cook... dinner.
love,
