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!

Cold-Brew Coffee- The Next Big Caffeine Craze

Since the brewing of coffee has been mainstream, hot brewing has been the way of choice… mostly because it was pretty much the only way. However, cold brew coffee has come along and it is creating a divide in the coffee world. It is proving to be very popular and give a really great tasting coffee.

For those who believe cold brew coffee is the way to go, they may soon be able to get it at a lot of coffee shops and in K-Cup coffee forms, including establishments like Starbucks. Starbucks is currently in testing mode of the cold brew method in Boston and other coffee house chains are testing it as well.

Cold-brewed iced coffee is brewed by steeping coffee ground in room temp water for quite a few hours. After the grounds have soaked, you strain them. Those who prefer this brew state that it gives a smoother, superior flavor of coffee because it is less acidic than traditional brewing methods.

The cold-brew method takes between 12 and 24 hours, so it is not ideal for shops that need to serve coffee quickly but the new round of testing is challenging the brewing speed. Typically, many coffee places prepare their iced coffee by brewing it hot and then putting ice in it.