Iced Beverage Creation Process
Making a proper iced latte has to do with one thing…the ice must not get melted by the hot espresso. Too often do people think that an iced latte means that the espresso is simply poured, “over ice.” This is simply not so. By doing this, the ice gets turned into smaller pieces, there is water which dilutes the flavor of the milk and espresso, and the whole thing looses its oomph. To fix this problem, the person making the drink needs to prepare to pull the espresso shots. And right before the button to pull the shots is pushed, a small amount of milk is added to the cup or much in which the iced latte is going to be poured. The reason for this is that when the shots are poured into the mug or cup, the espresso instantly cools and flavors the milk into a homogenous texture and flavor.
Remember, iced lattes are not about stratification. They are supposed to be smooth and elegant drinks. And beyond anything else, an iced latte is supposed to be refreshing. This is completely different from someone who is ordering a cappuccino or even a hot latte. Those drinks are designed to have a tremendous amount of texture and taste simulation. The tip of the tongue is accented more in a cap or a hot latte. For an iced cappuccino, it is all about the overall effect as the beverage is gliding across the tongue. The temperature is kind. And too much watery flavor kills the intentional impact of the drink.
So when one pulls the shots and pours them into the mug with only a slight amount of milk in it. Then the ice is added to the drink. After this is done, then the barista or home creator needs to add the rest of the desired milk into the drink and it is finished. The complete result is that the iced latte should have creaminess that is determined by the type of milk chosen for the task. Finally, the ice will maintain its integrity and will keep the drink cold well beyond when the liquid is consumed.
A well-crafted iced latte should always be so delicious that there is always ice left over. Iced lattes are great for the summer of course because of the heat. But one that is made poorly can easily squash someone’s tantalized tastebud desires. This can impact beverage sales and potentially turn off someone who would probably have become a repeat customer if the drink was created with the proper technique.
The main problem that people have when making the drink is that they think making iced espresso coffee is like making another sort of cold drink. But one must remember that espresso is always pulled and served when it is hot. Cold espresso is horrible and should never be used when making an iced latte.
Iced coffee is another story entirely and has its own preparation techniques depending on the establishment.
But anyone who tries making an iced latte in the way that I described above will most-likely develop a taste for them…even if they may not necessarily be espresso-based beverage drinkers.
-Tyler