Whether you’re slamming cups of coffee in order to meet a fast-approaching deadline or you’re savoring all the pleasures and mood-enhancing effects of the caffeinated beverage while catching up with old friends, it’s indisputable that coffee plays an integral role in modern society.
Consumed in its most unadulterated state, a full-flavored and fair trade cup of joe soothes the soul as well as the conscience. Still, there are times when the coffee drinker prefers to jazz up their beverage with various ingredients to create a luscious medley of adrenaline-pumping nectar. One of the most common methods of altering coffee’s flavor profile is with the addition of milk.
While cow’s milk is the most common additive in coffeehouses and private homes, increasingly varied diets and a rising vegetarian/vegan population requires the implementation of alternate milk sources. The following five coffee drinks can be taken from the traditional to the vegan-friendly with nary an iota of deliciousness lost:
A Morning Espresso is “Soy” Essential
What greater accompaniment to the quintessential Sunday brunch than a perfectly steamed cappuccino? This concoction calls for one part espresso – a strong, concentrated coffee – to one part steamed milk topped with a lavish blanket of milk foam. For a simple vegan version, trade out the cow’s milk for soy milk and you will be brunching in style.
Chocolate Heals All (Emotional) Wounds
Caffe mocha? Yes, please! You can prepare an ultra-decadent version sans any animal product by replacing the standard milk offering with smooth and creamy coconut milk. Begin with espresso, chocolate syrup and steamed coconut milk. Follow up with whipped cream. Due to coconut milk’s high fat content, it whips wonderfully into a sumptuous topping for your caffe mocha.
Nuts for Latte
A variation of the cappuccino that calls for more steamed milk and less milk foam, the latte becomes vegan-approved when cow’s milk is substituted with almond milk. Almond milk is a low-calorie, highly nutritive alternative that adds a whole “latte” flavor. Try Tassimo coffee for a great tasting blend.
Rice Over Macchiato
The espresso macchiato is meant to be a strong, hearty drink with the recipe calling for one shot of espresso topped with a touch of milk foam. Since rice milk has a naturally subtle flavor, it allows the espresso flavor to properly shine.
Cooling Down in the Summertime
Rounding out the vegan-friendly coffee beverages is the star of summer: coffee and milk over ice. A matter of preference, the ratios in this refreshing and eye-opening drink are purely at the discretion of the consumer, as is the type of milk used to elevate it to vegan status.