Caribou Coffee's Cold Foam Is Getting A Holiday Makeover
Just when you thought you knew all about the world of iced lattes, blended coffee slushies, cold press, and cold brew concoctions, another icy moniker jumps into the java conversation: cold foam. It isn't a newborn addition to the caffeine family, more like an elementary schooler if you count the Starbucks debut of cold foam in 2014. But unless your daily caffeine ritual includes a cold liquid jolt, you may not be privy to the nuances of cold foam drink toppings.
In a press release, worldwide chain Caribou Coffee announced a parade of lip-smacking holiday drinks and treats, crowned by a brand-new incarnation of its standard cold foam topping. It's a limited-time offering based on a popular winter ingredient, but don't be surprised if becomes a recurring staple in the 30-year-old Caribou holiday tradition. Hint: in typical yuletide tradition, you could spike this drink – but you'd have to take it home first.
Frosty holiday sipping
Eggnog practically defines winter holidays to many people, so Caribou Coffee certainly isn't reinventing the wheel by adding eggnog to its cold-weather drink menu. But it does seem to be reinventing cold foam toppings. That's because Caribou's newly announced Egg Nog Cold Foam infuses the eggnog into the foam itself. And the topping complements cold drinks rather than typical winter-weather warm drinks, notes the press release.
The artistry of craft coffee shines particularly bright in the firm frothiness of cold foam, including the new Egg Nog Cold Foam from Caribou. Heat-produced foams would disappear quickly on a Caribou iced pumpkin chai latte or iced turtle mocha, but a cold foam perches prettily atop any of the chain's dozen-plus cold creations. There's a bit of science behind cold foam, which is essentially just nonfat milk frothed into stiff peak-like grandeur without using heat, explains PureWow. The firmness comes from large air bubbles created when you briskly shake the milk. By comparison, steaming milk for hot coffee drinks results in tiny microbubbles and a creamy, smooth topping.
While sipping on a frosty drink topped with Egg Nog Cold Foam, you can try out some of Caribou Coffee's other seasonal newbies such as a breakfast sandwich made with maple waffles, a mint-flavored cake pop, or a gingerbread loaf cake, notes the press release. If you still crave a hot drink when temperatures drop, there are also three new steamy, spicy hot drinks, including the Fa La Latte with steamed eggnog.