What was the best coffee drink of the summer?

Every summer, coffee shops across the country bring out new seasonal drinks to draw in new consumers and keep the attention of the regulars. I usually look forward to this time of year because it is one of the few times that I will opt for a cold drink instead of a second cup of hot coffee during the day and – I’ll admit it – I like quite a few of those blended drinks!

For me, this summer’s best drink was the Honey Kissed Ice Blended from Coffee Bean. The blended drink was made with their signature vanilla powder and honey, and there were chocolate covered espresso beans blended into it to give it a bigger caffeine boost, too. At some shops, I even had honey drizzled into the inside of my cup, which led to some satisfyingly sweet sips through the straw when I managed to get a bit on the end.

Here’s hoping they bring it back next summer!

Coffee Jelly Caramel Frappuccino from Seoul

I have to say that I was a little bit surprised that there wasn’t anything too exotic on the menu at Starbucks in Seoul, Korea, where I was last week. Not that I was expecting to see a kimchi-flavored frappuccino, or anything like that, but I did hope that there would be something to make me say “wow!” other than the Seoul City Mug I added to my collection. The closest I came was with a Coffee Jelly Frappuccino. This is essentially a regular frappuccino with a whole lot of coffee-flavored gelatin at the bottom of the drink. It’s a lot like having an espresso-flavored jello shooter. The flavor is excellent and it really did a lot to improve the overall coffee flavor of the caramel frappuccino I ordered it in.

The only small criticism I would make is that it was disconcerting to suck up firm jello through a straw. It came out in squiggy lines that reminded me a bit of gummy worms (but tastier)! Still, the flavor gets two thumbs up. I just might try it with a spoon next time.

Coffee Bean Tiramisu Ice Blended, reviewed

I immediately liked the idea of a Tiramisu Ice Blended when I saw it appear as a “possible” new menu item a few weeks ago at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.  Tiramisu is a dessert that has a lot of great espresso flavor to it in its own right, and actually seemed like a fairly natural extension to a cold, blended drink (I wouldn’t want it hot, though).  Fortunately, the drink did the dessert justice. It was very creamy, with a little bit of extra dairy flavor that you might get from the mascarpone or whipped cream in a tiramisu, and seemed to have hints of butter cookie and sweet marsala in it, too. The best thing about the whole drink was that it had a really nice flavor of espresso to it. As a coffee fan, I’d say it was even better with an extra shot of espresso blended in to bring of the coffee flavor more

Seattle’s Best Chocolate Coffee Crunch Javakula, reviewed

I have to say that the summer promo drink at Seattle’s Best has a great name: Chocolate Coffee Crunch Javakula. Chocolate, coffee and some kind of crunchy element is a combination used in all kinds of great chocolates, from truffles to candy bars to chocolate chip coffee ice cream. This drink starts with cold-brewed coffee, chocolate syrup and espresso syrup. Espresso beans are blended in to add some crunch and a little bit of an extra caffeine boost.

The drink works well, if you like chocolate-covered espresso beans. It has a great coffee flavor and is smooth and rich-tasting, when you’re not crunching a little bit of coffee bean. I really like the element that the beans add to the drinks, but I also know people who don’t like the crunch of a coffee bean, so if you fall into that category, I’d have to urge you to give this one a miss. If not, it’s a great mix of coffee and chocolate, emphasis on the coffee, and a refreshing drink for summer.

Leonidas White Chocolate Caramel Blended

I’ve been a big fan of the Southern California Leonidas Cafes for  some time now. They not only have excellent, fresh Belgian chocolates, but they have coffee drinks (mostly with chocolate), too! My summer favorite is the blended White Chocolate Caramel Coffee drink. Unlike other white chocolate drinks, like the ones at Starbucks, this one isn’t too sweet at all and has the same creamy, milky flavor that you find in a really good white chocolate – complete with notes of vanilla. The caramel increases the sweetness of the drink slightly, but it also adds a buttery richness. That said, the drink is very smooth and light. It’s easy to drink a big one, as they’re much less filling than similar drinks at some other coffee houses.