If you frequent coffee shops or drive-thrus, I bet you have your regular. It's that drink for when you gaze blankly up at the menu and think, "Maybe I'll get something different today," but no inspiration comes so this order spills out of your mouth.
If you're sick of standing hopelessly in line looking at words and prices that mean nothing to your habit-ingrained brain only to order your typical sixteen-ounce mocha or twelve-ounce vanilla latte – have no fear. Here are 10 drink order ideas for when you want to branch out from your usual:
1. Campfire/S'mores mocha.
A mocha with toasted marshmallow flavoring: it's not too big of a leap from a regular mocha, so this is a pretty safe way to branch out. It's subtle but somehow significantly tastier.
2. Lavender white chocolate mocha.
This is further out on the branch of the mocha tree (what is this metaphor?), but don't let that scare you. White chocolate powder tends to make coffees particularly creamy, and if you're into lavender, the two flavors make great friends.
3. White chocolate, Irish creme and coconut.
This flavor combination has accidentally become my regular drink for right now. So I'm biased. I just like this one a lot. You should try it.
4. Blended chai.
If the coffee shop you're visiting does this kind of thing, and if your regular order might be chai anyway, and if you want something cold, maybe try this one out. ("Chai" this one out? ...No. Sorry.)
5. Blended coffee with cold brew.
Speaking of blended drinks, ask the barista to throw some cold brew (along with the shot) in your blended coffee. Blended drinks are usually wildly sweet, but adding some cold brew (as opposed to more shots), gives it a nice bitterness to balance out the sweet.
6. Americano with flavoring.
I'll be honest: all the drinks I've listed so far are relatively expensive. These next ones cheat the pricey-ness of your local coffee shop.
If you can make yourself like flavor without the froth or creaminess of a latte, try putting your favorite flavors in an americano with cream. It'll save you a dollar or two and your stomach might thank you for not drinking all that thick milk.
7. Steamed cold brew.
I know it sounds dumb. Bear with me. Cold brew actually has a different flavor than espresso or drip coffee, especially when heated up. Also, its caffeine affects you differently than espresso's. Give it a try sometime. (This is why coffee places should keep cold brew year round.)
8. Cafe au lait.
It sounds pretentious, but this is just the fancy way of saying drip coffee with a bunch of steamed milk in it. This is perfect if you don't want a ton of coffee or sweetener but you still want a ton of liquid to drink. This is also perfect if you want something foamy but don't want to pay $5 for a latte.
9. And never underestimate the power of a hot chocolate.
Especially when it's cold outside. No shame in getting a hot chocolate.
10. Or a steamer!
Don't feel pressured into getting coffee just because you're at a coffee place. Put your favorite flavors in a steamer and forget espresso for the day. You're your own person. Go for it. Save a few dollars.
