Amber Winkler, chef and owner of Crust & Crumb Cafe, introduced a cookie butter latte to the cafe’s menu in December. Woah. The artisan-inspired cafe at 115 E. Beaver Ave. also features flavors like banana bread, lavender vanilla and oat-toffee crunch. If you’re looking for some sweet new notes in your morning cup of joe (or afternoon and evening), there is a world of new syrups out there that may surprise you.
Crust & Crumb baristas use 1883 Maison Routin syrups that are created in France to flavor coffees. Winkler emphasizes that the quality of the syrup is important to her, and she uses the high-quality syrups to bring out the flavor notes of Crust & Crumb’s medium roast espresso.
“Our medium roast has a chocolate undertone which works really well with a lot of our sweeter drinks,” Winkler said.
So, if you’re an at-home barista, how can you start concocting your own flavors? Winkler explained that her baristas tasted the lavender and vanilla syrups independently when they began deciding the ratios for the lavender vanilla latte. The Crust & Crumb team discovered that the lavender on its own was a little harsh to the palette, so they used french vanilla to create a buffer and bring back a familiar flavor.
Here are some less-appreciated flavors and flavor combos that you can find from 1883 Maison Routin on Amazon:
Toasted Marshmallow
Toasted marshmallow is a flavor all on its own that will remind you of s’mores in the summertime and make you feel cozy.
Banana and Cinnamon
Banana and cinnamon together give a chance for the sweet banana to shine with a little spicy punch from the cinnamon, serving as that Crust & Crumb banana bread flavor dupe.
White Chocolate and Raspberry
Raspberry and white chocolate is a timeless combination, and you can get that cute dark pink shade going in your coffee.
Rose and Vanilla
Just in time for Valentine’s season, take your roses in your morning coffee. Like Winkler explained, the floral flavor is balanced by the vanilla to create a sweet swirl fit for your Valentine.
Let us know what your favorite coffee add-ons are @VALLEYMag!
