What Are Starbucks Loyalists Thinking of the Flat White?

A few weeks ago, a lot of Americans were introduced to the iconic coffee beverage, the Flat White. While the Flat White has been around for decades in countries like Australia and New Zealand, it was only introduced to the masses of Americans when Starbucks released it earlier this year (some coffee shops have been producing it in the US prior to this, however).

It was an exciting announcement for many fans of Starbucks since there are no drinks to really look forward to this time of year; the PSL has been gone, the Peppermint Mocha has now been removed, it was back to the typical menu.

However, has the hype of the Flat White been met with equally high, true impressions of it at first taste? 

For some tasters, yes, however, it seems like there are others feeling a bit cheated by it. For one thing, blogs from people commenting on their first Flat White show pictures of their drink, which looks like typical latte, not the Flat White. If you go to a Starbucks, the picture shows a coffee cup filled with golden coffee and a white dot; many pictures from real Flat Whites show a white, foamy top, like usual lattes.

Another thing that commenters have mentioned, aside from the lack of the iconic look, is that it does not taste any bolder than their typical latte, which is a classic trait of the Flat White.

Now, keep in mind, these are the opinions of bloggers and each person has a different experience. Bottom line? Try one for yourself and see what you think! Let us know what you think about the Flat White. 

Not into trying fancy drinks? Then stick with simple, easy to make single cup coffee such as coffee K-Cups from Coffeevines!

8 Fun & Festive Twists on Coffee

Coffee is already an amazing thing but who is to say that you can't make a great thing better? I say you can! In the spirit of it being cold out now and holidays coming up, here are 8 ways to make your coffee a bit more delightful.

1. Caramel. Using some of the caramel ice cream topping in your fridge will work wonderfully for this. If you are more of a purist, you can melt down some caramel and mix it in. 
2. Vanilla. Mixing in some vanilla extract or some vanilla coffee creamer makes coffee taste like heaven. 
3. Cinnamon. If you use ground cinnamon, then add in a teaspoon of it; if you want to be a bit more adventurous, then use a cinnamon stick to stir your coffee. This is a common thing to do in Spain and some South American countries. Very good.
4. Ice cream. Mix in whatever kind of ice cream you want but I tend to stay with vanilla or chocolate. Make sure your coffee is hot enough to take the coldness of the ice cream and stay warm. 
5. Peppermint. Use a peppermint candy cane to stir your coffee, it tastes great and works wonderfully! It is cool, too, because you hear the candy cane crackle and melt due to the heat of the coffee. 
6. Chocolate. Make it mocha! I like to mix in some hot cocoa mix, chocolate chips, or break of pieces of a candy bar. 
7. Honey. A spoonful of honey gives it great flavor and texture. Who doesn't love honey? 
8. Marshmallow fluff. I was skeptical about this one but it gives great flavor and makes it a bit thick and creamy. Wow, so good. 

Give these tips a try! You'd be surprised how delicious some can be, like the marshmallow fluff, who knew? Once you try them, let us know on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, or in the comments! 

Need coffee delivered to you quickly at your home or office? Then shop with Coffeevines! We have major brands like Starbucks, Green Mountain, and Peets. 

Artisanal Coffee is the Next Coffee Revolution

We all know about artisanal cheese and beers but there is a new brew on the menu, artisanal coffee; this is a new gourmet coffee that requires the best beans, precise measurements of coffee and water, and poured in a pre-warmed cup. Of course, this is according to the brew geniuses over at Stumptown Coffee.

Stumptown is an industry leader in the ever-growing movement of brew masters looking to leave their footprint on the way that coffee is consumed. Some say this latest way is the third wave of coffee. The first wave was back in the 1960s when coffee was mass marketed by Folgers and other companies and the second wave was in the 1990s when Starbucks & other chains made specialty drinks to order.

This "third wave" is bringing a certain sophistication and intricacy to the coffee world, leaving artisanal brands to lead the way for the coffee consuming world. Of course, they still have their work cut out to get serious slices of the pie from Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. 

It makes sense the new trend would be headed in US cities like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago. After all, us Americans consume around 400 million cups of the stuff everyday; that number boosted when single cup coffee hit store shelves.

Don't think it'll last? Well, coffee experts believe that artisanal coffee is the future of coffee consumption. People are ready and willing to pay a little extra for an experience.

Do you want a coffee experience that delivers to you? Then shop Coffeevines! We carry major brands like Starbucks and deliver right to your door.

Starbucks Testing a Beer Flavored Latte

Lots of people enjoy a cup of coffee, some people enjoy a glass of beer; now, we can enjoy a cup of beer-flavored coffee. If you are into craft beer, then this concept is familiar to you since there are coffee-flavored beers.

Starbucks is known for having interesting coffee drinks and pushing the limits beyond where they were in the past. What they have now is setting the social media world into a frenzy-- good and bad frenzy, depending on who you follow.

The Seattle-based chain is testing a new latte that is dubbed, "Dark Barrel Latte" that is made with espresso, whipped cream on top, and dark caramel drizzle, oh we forgot the chocolatey stout flavored sauce. Only a few stores in Ohio and Florida get to test it at the moment.

Some consumers are already in love with the blend, stating that it "tastes just like beer. Guinness." Other consumers find it repulsive, stating that they find it weird to "feel like you're drinking beer in the morning. Gross."

There is no beer or alcohol in the latte at all. It only tastes like it. The stout flavor comes from the roasted malt.

Some analysts believe that the new blend, if it succeeds in testing, will be to bridge the gap between the morning coffee people and the evening beer/wine people. Who knows, maybe the blend will survive and then be released in coffee K-Cup format?

Until then, we'll just have to wait and see. If you are a fan of Starbucks, then shop from Coffeevines. We have major brands, including Starbucks!

10 Things You Need to Know About Coffee

We love coffee, especially our single cup coffee, and while we sit and drink it everyday in the United States, there is so much to be known about it! We have 10 rather interesting facts to know about the wonderful beverage that is coffee.

1. When coffee manufacturers decaffeinate coffee, they then sell the caffeine to soda manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies. These companies use caffeine in their products and need a great resource to get it from; no caffeine is wasted here! 
2. We spend a lot of money on coffee; the average American (who enjoys coffee) spends $1,092 on the stuff per year! That's a lot of coffee. 
3. Have you ever wondered where the name "Starbucks" came from? The founders of the coffee chain named the place after Captain Ahab's first mate. It was actually debated if they should name it after his ship instead, Pequod. 
4. The coffee shops, "Chock full o' Nuts" is named after the founder's nut stores that he switched over to coffee places. So no, there are no nuts in the coffee. 
5. The writer, Honore de Balzac, reportedly consumed up to fifty cups of java a day to keep his writing going. This is all according to legend, who knows if he actually did. That's a heck of a lot of coffee. 
6. For their passage to the 1932 Olympics, the Brazilian olympians piled bags of coffee on the ship and sold it along the way to pay for their way there. In case you didn't know, those Olympics were in Los Angeles. 
7. Did you know British women once wanted to ban coffee? In 1674, British women wanted to ban it because they believed it turned men into useless individuals. So, they wanted the beverage banned for anyone under the age of 60. Crazy, huh?
8. Coffee was actually banned in the city of Mecca back in 1511. Why? It was believed to fuel inappropriate things like radical thinking and "hanging out". 
9. Researchers at Cambridge utilized the first webcam to monitor a coffee pot. Yeah, they wanted to keep an eye on how much coffee was left (and who was taking it) without leaving their desks. 
10. Back in 2008, a Starbucks barista gave her kidney to a customer to save her life. 

Those are some mind-blowing facts, huh? My head is tired from all that knowledge; I think it's time for an organic coffee K-Cup. Maybe something bold, like dark roast coffee.