Twice a year, Joe runs an internal drink competition open to the whole team, baristas, roastery, catering, everyone. The winner goes on the menu at every café. This season it was Ally Lynch, from the catering team, with an iced maple latte with tahini cold foam. She started with maple, then went looking for something to pair it with that would feel new without feeling risky, something people had probably tasted before, just not in a coffee. Tahini fit. She tested versions (cold foam or latte, which maple syrup) and, almost as an aside, added salt. "I was just kind of mixing a bunch of random things," she says, "and I was like, wait, this is going to be so good."
Now Serving Hojicha
You'll also find a new tea on the menu, from the same plant as matcha. It comes to us from our friends at Kettl. Hojicha is roasted, nutty, a little smoky. So far, we're fans of pairing it with butter pecan, toasty on toasty. The Butter Pecan Hojicha is available hot or iced.
Rounding Out the Season
The rest of the lineup: a Pumpkin Spice Latte. An Apple Cinnamon Latte and an Apple Cinnamon Matcha, same flavors, two different bases, so you can pick your caffeine. A Butter Pecan Cold Brew for the season without the espresso, and a Banana Bread Latte for dessert.
Seasonal Cold Foams
Butter Pecan and Pumpkin Spice cold foams are also available this season, and can be added to any drink on the menu.
All seven drinks are available now at every Joe café.