Dairy, nondairy cold foam adds to appeal of coffee and tea
While steamed frothy milk has been a popular accompaniment to coffee for decades, cold versions — some made with dairy, some with dairy alternatives — are now spooned over cold beverages, imparting richness and texture to tea and coffee beverages alike.
Starbucks introduced this beverage enhancement nationally in 2018 as “cold foam,” and Dunkin’, Jamba, and other brands followed suit this year.
Starbucks’ version is made with aerated nonfat milk and was introduced in 2014 at the company’s Reserve Roastery in Seattle. According to a Starbucks spokesperson, it was then expanded to additional Starbucks Reserve locations before being rolled out nationwide in April 2018.
It has since been seasonally modified with the addition of pumpkin spice and Irish cream flavouring.
“Notably, Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew has grown to become one of the most popular seasonal cold beverages of all time, with over 90 million beverages sold in the United States as of [the fourth quarter of 2020],” the spokesperson said, noting that the cold beverage outsold Pumpkin Spice Lattes last year.
