Ever had coffee with lemon juice, eggs or cheese? American coffee aficionados now fearlessly mix in less common, unusual and fun ingredients. Here are a few less obvious ingredient combinations that are surprisingly delicious twists on the morning cup of coffee.
1. Iced Coffee Lemonade
Instagram / lukasvolger
Though it’s been around a while, coffee lemonade jumped into the American spotlight this summer after Brooklyn food writer and chef Lukas Volger Instagrammed a picture of the beverage in June. The combination of ingredients is said to produce a refreshing, fruity drink: “The lemon flavor comes on strong at first, but then settles into something almost caramel-like — rich but not like a liqueur, and a little sweet and fruity because of the style of coffee,” wrote Food52’s Samantha Weiss Hills.
Related: Why Your Cup of Coffee Will Soon Cost More
2. Coffee Tonic
Facebook / Konditori
Though the quinine in tonic water is a turnoff for some, enthusiasts say the combination of tonic water and coffee (or espresso) creates a full-bodied, complex flavor that’s difficult to resist: “The result is surprisingly complex — a sweet and citrusy, creamy and effervescent, so-beautiful-you can’t-help-but-Instagram-it concoction with a Guinness-style frothy head. It's a cup of coffee and a palate cleanser all in one,” wrote Tasting Table’s Stacy Admimando.
3. Vietnamese Egg Coffee
Creative Commons / David McKelvey
Described as “liquid tiramisu,” Vietnamese egg coffee straddles the boundary between coffee and dessert. It sports a custard-like flavor with its blend of hot coffee, egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk.
Related: Why You May Not Get a Kick From Your Next Cup of Coffee
4. Nitro Cold Brew
Starbucks / Joshua Trujillo
It looks more like a Guinness than a coffee, but nitro cold brew is exactly what it sounds like — coffee infused with nitrogen gas. It’s said to provide a thick, pleasing consistency: “The gas from the nitrogen creates pockets of air in the body of the coffee that gives it a kind of luxurious mouthfeel that’s like a milkshake, only with none of the calories or dairy,” wrote Men’s Journal.
5. Coffee with Cheese
YouTube / bilboteket
A Scandinavian tradition, this concept involves pouring hot coffee over cheese curds made from reindeer or goat milk. The coffee is taken with the cheese in it and the cheese is consumed afterwards. While this may not see that appetizing at first, proponents say it creates quite a taste explosion: “It’s a fat bomb to add to your espresso that makes it taste like tiramisu.”
