Dustin Finch is the flavor master here at Barnie’s Coffee and Tea Company. He’s always brewing up exciting new blends for our Flavor Fanatics to enjoy. For Spring 2021, he’s created something new and exciting: Lemon Cookie. We sat down with Dustin to learn a little bit about the inspiration for this fresh new flavor.
Can you tell us about the process of how Lemon Cookie coffee was chosen?
While we have always focused closely on consumer taste trends and created our flavored premium coffees in partnership with our loyal fans, this year, we’re upping our game even more. Through our research, we found that dessert coffee is very popular, and had plans to expand offerings in that category. Then, we started to think back about all of the desserts that typically go with coffee: caramel, chocolate and nutty flavors. Lemon is one of the flavors that has been mixed with coffee since, well, the beginning of coffee. One of the oldest coffee drinks is a Café Medici, which consists of lemon rind, sugar and an espresso. The lemon sweetens up the coffee and gives it a little zing. Surprisingly, coffee and lemon go very well together.
In global coffee culture, Italians really embraced the combination of coffee and lemon cookies; they’ve been enjoying them with their espresso forever. The biggest goal is to try to try to take a dessert that all people know and like. It's a little vibrant and a little bright. If you don't want something as decadent like a chocolate or a caramel, you could have something maybe a little lighter on your palate, something a little bit sassier. Lemon cookie is where it's at. It's really flaky and buttery like a sugar cookie, and pairs best with cream and sugar.
Our research found that 90% of flavored coffee fans drink it with cream and sugar. When you add cream and sugar to the lemon cookie coffee, the buttery-ness really opens up and becomes that creamy flaky cookie crust taste with a hint of a sweet lemon.
What food items do you think Lemon Cookie coffee goes best with?
I recommend pairing it with something sweet or savory, like a plain croissant, blueberry muffin, cream cheese danish or other breakfast pastry.
What did you do to make this flavor great?
Squeezed lots of lemons! But seriously, we really listened to what people are talking about when they drink flavored coffees. And you know, flavored coffee drinkers are starting to be really open with what they are willing to try. Any quality flavor combined with our Barnie's Café Blend is going to make a darn good coffee!
Why do you think this flavor will resonate with consumers?
I think it'll resonate with our customers because it's a little different in a very classic way, yet still familiar. We all know lemons and we all use lemons daily, but customers who want to try something a little different and a little lighter than your normal decadent flavors will be delighted.
Based on your expertise is there anything else you'd like to share?
I highly recommend adding about two ounces of cream and two to three grams of sugar to eight ounces of flavored coffee. If you stick to that recipe it really heightens the experience and gives you everything that flavor has to offer.
Order Lemon Cookie flavored coffee today
