Largely unknown outdoors of New England, “coffee milk” has made a splash this fall because of Dunkin’s limited-time product, the “Dunkalatte.”
A typical latte combines a milk base with espresso. The Dunkalette, for its half, combines espresso milk and espresso.
The addition of espresso milk to the drink meant that Dunkin’ needed to not solely market the Dunkalatte throughout the US, but in addition let others know precisely what the phrase “coffee milk” meant.
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“When we first created the Dunkalatte, we knew we had something special on our hands, but introducing coffee milk, an unfamiliar concept to most, was a challenge,” Jill McVicar Nelson, chief advertising and marketing officer at Dunkin’, mentioned in a press release to Fox Information Digital.
Information of the Dunkalatte’s espresso milk base even prompted politicians to precise their pleasure.
The Dunkalatte, combining espresso milk with espresso, launched espresso milk to a wider viewers past New England when it debuted this summer season. (Dunkin’)
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee (D) posted a “galaxy brain” meme on X in late August, saying that the mix of espresso milk and Dunkin’s iced espresso had the “largest brain.”
Gov. Maura Healey (D-Mass.), a fellow New Englander, then quoted McKee’s meme.
She added this commentary: “The non-New England thoughts can’t comprehend this.”
However what’s espresso milk?
And why is it so well-liked in New England but just about unprecedented in all places else?
Here is a splash of background.
What’s espresso milk?
Espresso milk is created by including coffee-flavored syrup to exploit, Eli Berkowitz, CEO of Little Rhody Meals, informed Fox Information Digital in a cellphone interview.
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It is just like how chocolate syrup or strawberry syrup will be added to exploit to make chocolate and strawberry milk.
Little Rhody Meals is a distributor of the three main manufacturers of espresso syrup: Autocrat, Espresso Time, and Eclipse. This syrup will not be brewed espresso, but it surely does comprise espresso extract, based on its substances listing.
Espresso Time, Eclipse and Autocrat are three main manufacturers of espresso syrup. The syrup is combined with milk to make espresso milk. (Little Rhody Meals)
“It’s a Rhode Island tradition,” mentioned Berkowitz. “Once you leave [Rhode Island], when you head to New York — they all think you’re talking about something else. They have no idea.”
He added, “It’s just bizarre how it’s only a Rhode Island thing.”
Berkowitz, like many individuals in Rhode Island, has been consuming espresso milk since he was a baby.
“I think it was one way to get kids to drink more milk.”
“It’s just been a New England staple for whatever the reason was. That’s how we all grew up as kids,” he mentioned. “I’m 65 and that’s what I always wanted.”
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Espresso milk, mentioned Berkowitz, doesn’t have the precise taste profile of a daily sizzling cup of espresso.
“[There’s] just a sweet taste to it. That’s what it is,” he mentioned.
Espresso milk was named the official “State Drink” of Rhode Island in 1993. (Inventive Commons; iStock)
Whereas there may be caffeine within the product, it differs by model, Berkowitz famous.
Nonetheless, its floor similarities to the beverage usually consumed by older individuals are probably why it was so well-liked amongst youngsters, he mentioned.
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“I feel when youngsters had been rising up, mother and pop had been having a cup of espresso — [it was] like, ‘Can I have that?’” he mentioned.
“It tastes like melted coffee ice cream!”
As a substitute of espresso, dad and mom would inform their kids to have espresso milk, as “it’s got that darker color to it.”
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“I think it was one way to get kids to drink more milk,” mentioned Berkowitz.
“If kids didn’t like plain milk, it was kind of sweetened up with [syrup].”
On June 29, 1993, espresso milk was adopted because the “State Drink” of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s web site notes.
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Deputy Secretary of State Rob Rock described himself as a “huge coffee milk fan.”
In an e mail to Fox Information Digital, Rock shared his favourite manner of getting ready the beverage.
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“Coffee milk tastes best with the right balance of Autocrat Coffee Syrup and milk, preferably 2%,” he mentioned.
“It tastes like melted espresso ice cream!”
