Specialty Coffee Retailer is a publication for owners, managers and employees of retail outlets that sell specialty coffee. Its scope includes best sales practices, supplies, business trends and anything else to assist the small coffee retailer.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/52159
The flavor New flavors, matched Introducing new flavors, sometimes keyed to a season or approaching holiday, Whatever their source, new fl avors can set a coff ee shop's menu apart from its competitors. Chocolate, a traditional favorite, is growing on coff ee shop F menus, according to "Innovation on the Menu: Flavor Trends," published by Mintel Group in August 2011. "Chocolate is up 8 percent, a refl ection of how indulgence (and skinny indulgence) continues to stack up in coff ee drinks, with layered fl avors like peppermint-chocolate or dark chocolate mocha turning coff ee into dessert," states the Mintel report. "Iced versions of coff ee drinks resemble shakes and are also very dessert-like." Ghirardelli Chocolate Co. achieves such a confectionery taste with rich syrups, says Chris Eklem, vice president of the company's foodservice division. "Th ey are a great way to add the traditional fl avors of chocolate, caramel and white chocolate to a coff ee drink or frappe," Eklem says. "Our sauces are also ideal for decorating glassware and topping drinks." Th e iconic San Francisco chocolatier added smaller 16- and 17-oz. bottles geared to smaller operations. "Our newest product is actually a new size for our chocolate, white chocolate and caramel sauces," Eklem says. "It's a squeeze bottle that is perfect for topping drinks, decorating the insides of glasses, or for lower-volume cafés that want a smaller quantity of product. We launched squeeze bottles last summer and they have been extremely successful so far." Another mainstay for fall and winter is baked goods. Monin Gourmet Flavorings capitalizes on that trope with its pie-fl avored syrups. Available in Pumpkin, Apple, Pecan and Blueberry, these syrups will impart a pie-taste experience to every sip of cappuccinos, lattes, frozen coff ees and other drinks. SPRING FAVES Just as peppermint and pumpkin are associated with winter holidays, spring favorites include spicy cinnamon for Valentines' Day. Fruits and fl orals also start appearing on menus as warmer weather nears. 28 | January 2012 • www.specialty-coffee.com to the seasons, can add zest to your menu. can revitalize a shop's menu. Photo courtesy of Torani lavors can be simple or complex, subtle or bold. Every season brings new tastes and revives old formulas. BY BRENDA G. RUSSELL "Our newest syrup fl avor came on the market in December," says Amy Ware, brand director at Torani, the San Francisco syrup maker. "It's a Bananas Foster syrup, and it's a truly delicious reproduction of the famous dessert from New Orleans: brown sugar caramelized bananas with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla, perfect for your Mardi Gras celebrations. "We also are still seeing a lot of growth of our Salted Caramel and Sugar Free Salted Caramel syrup," Ware says, "as well as Cinnamon Vanilla in both regular and sugar-free versions." "Some popular spring fl avors are the fl orals—rose, lavender, violet, elderfl ower," says Rodney Hureau, managing director of Routin America Inc., importer of the French syrup brand 1883 de Philibert Routin. "Also, blackberry and raspberry have surges in the spring." With St. Patrick's Day nearing, Routin has added an Agave Sugar Free Irish Cream syrup to its Irish Coff ee fl avors. An unusual Cherry Blossom syrup carries a whiff of spring breezes. With the new popularity of tea drinks, traditional fruit fl avors are making a resurgence. "Small upticks in fruit fl avors like citrus (up 9 percent) and strawberry (up 12 percent) refl ect shiſt s to fl avored tea (hot and iced), fruit juices, and more natural drinks like fl avored waters," the Mintel study states. DaVinci Gourmet's product manager, James Mann, has seen this trend's impact on syrup sales. "As we see the number and types of beverage off erings expand, we see the usage of syrups expand," Mann says. "For example, we are now seeing syrups being used to fl avor and create unique, very premium teas and lemonades." HOUSE BRANDS For more fl avor-forward ideas, borrow from bartenders and their adventurous spirits. House-mixed sodas, juices, and iced tea variations are an easy way to splash a little interest on beverage lists. Th e Mintel study advises foodservice professionals to look for the next new fruits or fruit combinations. "Pomegranate was once the latest trend, but it has stuck around to be a