We’ve gathered a list of our favorite holiday drinks from Distrito Coffee, Hanan Coffee Brewers, and more.
BY EMILY JOY MENESES
ONLINE EDITOR
Featured photo by Toa Heftiba
What are you sipping this Christmas? The holidays are here, and that means it’s time for holiday drinks! We’ve gathered a list of some of our favorite beverages of the season, dressed up with luxurious ingredients like cheese, cacao, yam, coconut, mandarin, and more.
Migao – Distrito Coffee
Based in San Pedro, Calif., Distrito Coffee is a café dedicated to highlighting Latin American culture, and they’ve done so beautifully with their holiday offering. Inspired by traditional Colombian migao, a breakfast dish consisting of hot chocolate mixed with various types of bread, cookies, crackers, and cheese, their Migao holiday beverage is a sweet, milk-based drink infused with organic Guatemalan cacao and topped with low-moisture cheese and Colombian sweet crackers.
“Once the cheese has melted, you can scoop it out with a spoon and eat it, finishing the drink after you’ve eaten all the cheese and crackers,” says Distrito’s founder, Mateo Toro, who was born in Bogotá, Colombia. “(The drink reflects) some of our culture’s best.”
Bourbon Maple Plum Latte – The Undergrounds Coffee Co.
Located in St. Petersburg, Fla., The Undergrounds Coffee Co. is warming hearts with their Bourbon Maple Plum Latte, sweetened with real plums and bourbon-soaked vanilla beans, and topped with a dehydrated plum.
Puto Bumbong Latte – Hanan Coffee Brewers
In the Philippines, Christmas is a vibrant time, with an abundance of food, music, and parols (Filipino Christmas lanterns) lighting up the streets. Based in the Bataan province, Hanan Coffee Brewers honors their roots with their holiday beverage, the Puto Bumbong Latte.
“Puto bumbong is a staple (dessert) in Filipino families’ Christmas festivities,” the team at Hanan says. “As Hanan’s spin to this well-loved Christmas treat, (our holiday) drink has homemade horchata (rice milk which we made from scratch), a double shot of espresso, and ube queso (purple yam and cheese) ice cream. (To finish it off), the drink is topped with toasted butter coconut to provide texture and crunch, and then grated cheese.”
Frida – Vagabond Café
Fayetteville, N.C.-based Vagabond Café presents their holiday drink, Frida: hot hibiscus tea infused with ancho chile and sweetened with jeju mandarin and simple syrup. The tartness of hibiscus is elevated by the vibrant hint of spice and citrus, providing a lift in spirits during the colder months.
“Frida is typically featured on our summer menu as a refreshing agua fresca. … This winter, we decided to ’warm her up’ and serve Frida more like a tea, making it a cozy yet vibrant addition to our holiday menu,“ says Vagabond Café owner Nancy Ramos. “It’s a beautiful balance of sweet, tangy, and smoky flavors that feels perfect for the season.“
Candy Cane Cold Brew and Wintermint Latte – Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea
Chicago-based Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea serves up a colorful candy cane cold foam, which customers can choose to go on top of cold brew or a matcha latte. The shop is also offering a Wintermint Latte, sweetened with a house-made syrup infused with lavender mint tea from Rishi Tea.
Merry Berry Latte – Arcadia Coffee
Sipping on Arcadia Coffee’s Merry Berry Latte feels like indulging in a slice of warm pie fresh from the oven. Infusing their holiday drink with vanilla, spiced brown sugar, blackberry, and cinnamon, the Downers Grove, Ill.-based coffee shop perfectly captures the cozy, sugary-sweet feelings of the season.
Rockabye Sweet Baby Rye – Bantam Coffee Roasters
Few things say “Christmas” quite like sweet potato pie, and Gettysburg, Pa.-based Bantam Coffee Roasters has encapsulated the iconic dessert in their holiday drink: Rockabye Sweet Baby Rye. The latte is infused with sweet potato and rye whiskey, and topped with a toasted marshmallow—the perfect blend of sweet, savory, and smoky flavors.
That’s all for this Christmas season—eat, drink, and be merry!
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