Five Memphis-made holiday coffee drinks not to be missed
MEMPHIS-MADE HOLIDAY COFFEE DRINKS NOT TO MISS
Move over, Peppermint Mocha. Don’t get me wrong, we love peppermint and chocolate in our coffee. But there is more flavor to the season than this sugary, sweet combination.
Coffee shops across Memphis are creating seasonal coffee drinks that embrace all the spices and sweets of the holiday season.
“We take the approach of what a kitchen does with food,” Comeback Coffee owner Hayes Mcpherson said. Each seasonal drink menu is a collaborative effort for his team, starting with a discussion of what flavors evoke memories of the season.
This chef-forward approach to coffee is happening across Memphis.
Flavors like gingerbread, bourbon, maple, and cinnamon and spice are being used to create one-of-a-kind coffee drinks that are
sure to become your favorites of the season.
Here are five of our favorites.
Vice & Virtue: Maple Bourbon Americano with Cold Foam
477 S. Main St. (inside Arrive Memphis hotel); (901) 402-8002; vicevirtuecoffee.com
The Maple Bourbon Americano topped with Cold Foam at Vice & Virtue is a unique coffee drink that combines hot coffee with a cold foam and is both sweet and salty in each sip.
Ethan Scott, who was the Memphis coffee roaster’s first employee, came up with the drink in collaboration with the barista team.
“We wanted to find a balance of flavors that reminded people of fall and winter and provided a novel sensory experience,” Scott said. “That’s why we worked with salt, heavy cream, maple syrup and bourbon barrel-aged coffee to introduce components of salts, sugars, acids and a hint of that characteristic bourbon spice/oak flavor.”
The drink is sweetened with 100% natural maple syrup, and the cold foam is topped with Murray River Gourmet Pink Salt Flakes from Australia.
Comeback Coffee: The Saigon
358 N. Main St.; (901) 860-4215; comebackcoffeeus.com
Comeback Coffee owner Hayes Mcpherson said the Saigon is one of his favorite seasonal coffee drinks his team has made.
Espresso is flavored with a housemade simple syrup that the Comeback Coffee team makes from its Saigon tea. This particular tea is made with lemon grass and cinnamon root. Brown sugar adds sweetness with a depth of flavor. The flavors and sweetness are subtle and complement the espresso.
The drink can be ordered with whole milk or with oat milk.
Two other drinks on the winter menu not to be overlooked are The Newton (made with fig preserves, caramel, lemon zest and cinnamon) and The Prohibition (with hints of amaretto, brown sugar, nutmeg and pistachios).
City & State: The Gingerbread Affoga-dough
2625 Broad Ave.; (901) 249-2406; cityandstate.us
For the holidays, Broad Avenue Arts District coffee shop City & State has created a play on an affogato — The Gingerbread Affoga-dough.
Instead of using ice cream like in a traditional affogato, City & State pours hot espresso over a gingerbread-chocolate chip edible cookie dough.
The espresso melts the cookie dough creating a libation that is best enjoyed sipped and with a spoon.
This creative and fun coffee drink would make the perfect afternoon treat after shopping in City & State’s gift shop.
Muggin Coffee House: Bourbon Egg Nog Latte
1139 Brownlee Road; (901) 529-7759; muggincoffeehouse.com
The Bourbon Egg Nog Latte at Muggin Coffee House embraces all the flavors of this beloved holiday cocktail.
Owner Ken Olds said they add eggnog flavoring and bourbon caramel syrup to espresso to create a non-alcoholic, caffeine-fueled version of this holiday drink. A dash of cinnamon on top adds the finishing touch.
If craving something a little sweeter, a Raspberry Shortbread Cookie Latte and a Gingerbread Latte are also on the holiday menu.
Jojo’s Espresso: Smoked Maple Latte
Check social media for today’s location; jojosespresso.com
Jojo’s Espresso is a mobile coffee food truck that launched this summer. The shop can most often be found in Germantown or Collierville, but occasionally makes stops in Midtown.
Owner Taylor Whiddon has several options on his holiday menu, including a Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha. It’s his Smoked Maple Latte that we keep ordering again and again.
This latte gets its sweetness from
pure maple syrup, brown sugar and cinnamon syrup. The interesting twist that takes this coffee over the top is a dash of liquid smoke. The smokiness is subtle and adds an original depth of flavor to an already tasty coffee drink.
Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer.