Excuse me, can I have your signature?

Hey, can I have your signature?

Well, I can sadly say that I don’t honestly have one. I’m not talking about that scribbly thing that’s supposed to give indication as to my name – y’know, that non-legible squiggle I hand-sign on cheques or important documents? I’m talking about signature beverages! More often these days, I’m seeing signature beverages take the spotlight in cafe environments – and I’m loving it. It’s as if the world of coffee competitions is starting to really push into the cafe space!

In a day and age where alcohol consumption habits are trending downward, with studies showing that Gen Z consume a massive decline in alcohol consumption compared to Millennials, potentially 20% less… As a result, we’re seeing a boom of coffee-cocktails being served at coffee shops and restaurants around the world. Culinary creations that are re-imagining the use of coffee as a singular beverage and shifting it into a base-ingredient, emulating what we’ve seen in the cocktail world over the last few decades. 

While sitting at a coffee shop in Shanghai this last week I was admiring the creativity of their compact menu – three coffee options. All made via espresso, available black or white, or crafted into one of six signature beverages, four with alcohol (3-6% ABV), two without, no substitutions. Here’s a few of the unique builds that stood out;

FANTASY OF THE DEEP FOREST

Brewed Coffee, Apricot, Blood Orange, Bamboo-oolong Tea Foam

SWEET TEETH

Espresso, Earl Grey, Buffalo Milk, Oolong, Orange Milk Foam

UMAMI

Cold Brew, Tomato, Gin, White-wine, Blood Orange Liqueur

Gū-RISH

Espresso, Whisky,Px-Sherry, Mushroom, Cinnamon, Maple Syrup

We tried the FANTASY OF THE DEEP FOREST, and let me tell you, that bamboo-oolong really painted the picture of greenery, giving a thought-provoking sensation somewhere between “freshly cut grass” and “maybe I’ve hiked further into the jungle than I should have…” The apricot and blood orange were subtle compliments to the brewed coffee below, a juicy, washed Ethiopian, that brought a salivating and refreshing element to the greenery above, as if you were met with a morning rainfall that’s just cleared and you’re waiting for the sun to break through the trees above.

As we ordered from the barista, we sat at an intimate bar counter that had just eight seats and another maybe twelve available, standing room only, behind us. Our drinks (black, white and signature) were built infront of us, everything made to order, with perfect mise en place and no more than a few minutes to execute and explain the full beverage experience. As we enjoyed our beverages, we watched as other unique concotions were brought to life as the full counter of consumers indulged in creative coffee cocktails.

Each of these signature beverages were somewhere between 60 – 100mL, priced between $8 – 12 USD equivalent. For comparative reference, it was $12 for a combo of espresso + milk (each single espresso) and only Ethiopia options. The full menu was only available to stay, no to go option.

This is a zoomed in experience of just one of many examples we’ve seen of coffee cocktails, or signature beverages, or whatever we want to call this segment. The experience was top tier, inspiring to say the least.

These are beverages crafted specifically for an individual coffee – similar to how a cocktail is built specifically for a spirit, and a different spirit just wont work to the same degree of efficacy. We’re talking curated beverages, not generalized like your average pumpkin spice latte…

There’s been some rumblings from coffee folks out there that this might be the “fourth wave” of coffee… What are your thoughts on that? Are you ready to move from single-origin coffee expressions to single-origin coffee cocktails in your favourite coffee shops? Let us know your thoughts by commenting here, responding to this email or sharing your impressions on social media 🙂

Reading: If you want some inspiration for a couple of signature coffee beverages to try out at home or at the cafe, here is potentially the best resource on the internet. The photos are beautifully curated, the recipes are fun, playful, and it’s put together by the internet’s favourite barista.

Watching: This last week we dropped our 35th Episode on our Buy the Drip Podcast. This one was a big milestone for us and it turned into an AMA session. If you want to hear us laugh through a wide array of both personal and professional questions, we recommend you check this conversation out. Thank you as well for supporting us as we hit 5000 subscribers on YouTube.

Listening: In the Making Sense podcast, Sam Harris talks with Ben Lamm of Colossal Biosciences about the groundbreaking effort to bring back extinct species like the woolly mammoth. They explore the science, ethics, and environmental potential of reintroducing these animals to the wild. Jurassic Park meets real life. How about a signature dinosaur resurrection?

Brewing: This week we’re brewing a coffee we picked up in Shanghai from TERRAFORM Coffee. This is a coffee from Ethiopia from Alo, a well regarded producer that’s very much in conversation these day. Sweet, juicy berries, apricot and citrus – maybe would go well with a dollop of bamboo-oolong foam on top…

respond with a photo of your brew bar or get creative with an AI generated scene and we’ll feature and share in an upcoming week of BTD

Distance: Buy the Drip run club. Clocking some kilometers. Two people ran marathons this week, big ups to them. Help us push a few more kilometers through this week?

I want to shout out Dave who is absolutely grinding on the runs these days, clocking 40+ km per week while we’ve been on the road and hitting the pavement relentlessly. Big inspiration from big brother. Join us on Strava for the weekly grind!

Want to join us as we hit the road? Let’s connect on Strava! or, join our Whoop group – just respond to the email and let’s grind together!