It is no secret that coffee is a staple in the college life. In an attempt to balance classes, activities, social events and all the other chaos of college, students often find themselves running on fumes… and a ton of caffeine. Plus, now more than ever, coffee is associated with social gatherings, status, tastes and ultimately “the aesthetic.” Coffee drinking is about so much more than just the beverage — college students love everything the bean juice scene embodies.
As a college student, I know how much I rely on coffee myself. But as a barista, I have the opportunity to be behind the bar and behind the scenes in the coffee world. It is an amazing perspective to see what goes into making all the café drinks that are so popular. From coffee secrets and hacks, to personal favorites, I will be offering my expertise here in the café corner.
Welcome back West Chester students! Spring semester is officially on a roll, and we somehow already have two weeks under our belts. Assignments are already piling up, the stress is building… I may or may not have already dropped a class. It’s fine.
Before the semester gets even crazier, I am going to share a few tips and drinks to equip you with everything you need to take on the rest of this school year!
Here is one of my favorite tricks that I have been using recently, especially since being back at school: extra espresso. Espresso is the coffee base in drinks such as lattes, cappuccinos, americanos and more. And an extra shot of espresso in your drink truly does wonders.
There are three beverages I want to highlight that utilize extra espresso perfectly. First, the classic hot or iced chai tea latte is always a popular go-to, especially for the first few weeks back on campus. Although the beverage does contain caffeine due to the black tea in it, the overall caffeine content with just a plain chai tea latte is not very high. Introduce a shot of espresso however, and you have a “dirty chai” — the same chai taste you love, with an extra caffeinated kick.
On the same wavelength, but for those looking for something not as sweet as a chai, this second drink builds off of a standard coffee base. That’s right: take any coffee, any size, hot or iced, drip or cold brew, whatever your preference. Simply add a shot of espresso to your hot or cold coffee and you have a “red eye,” a perfect alternative if you want more caffeine but don’t want to stray too far from your usual order.
The last drink to top off this extra espresso hack is probably the easiest and most obvious — and most definitely always flies under the radar. For a subtle adjustment to your standard latte, why not just add an extra shot of espresso? Meet the “flat white,” a beverage served with typically two shots of espresso and steamed milk with no fluffy foam on top, hence the name. The flat white is perfect when you want the same, yet slightly stronger, taste of a latte.
These drinks and countless more are great options to create extra caffeinated beverages. As we take on spring 2020, I hope you take some extra espresso with you!
From, your barista.
Claudia Cava us a third year finance and economics major. CC887936@wcupa.edu.