Lounge
How Gen Z likes its coffee
Summary
A generation that values the look and experience as much as the coffee is pushing baristas to experiment with flavours and blends
"A large part of Gen Z consumes a coffee beverage on the phone before actually taking the first sip," says Bengaluru-based Ashish D’abreo, co-founder, Maverick & Farmer Coffee. For the speciality farm-to-cup coffee brand, which runs three cafés (two in Bengaluru and one in Goa), one of the priorities, after arriving at a detailed recipe for a new drink, is how it will look on a phone screen. The glassware, the layering, the serving tray, the garnishes, the bells and whistles that go along with the beverage—all of these are as important as taste to the chronically online consumer. For Gen Z, the optics of coffee matter as much as the taste. This is shaping a new wave of coffee culture with innovations such as dessert-like flavours, playful messaging and immersive experiences.
It’s not enough to serve good coffee and food anymore, and brands can make or break themselves in search of that elusive quality, authenticity. As a trend, it’s not new nor is it confined to coffee culture but it is reaching some sort of a peak as brands scramble to define themselves and appeal to a crowd that’s at once discerning and shallow. For instance, Pallavii Gupta, founder of The Kind Roastery and Brew Room in Bengaluru, believes that creating a visually appealing atmosphere in stores is essential for Gen Z, which values experience as much as the product. Cafés like The Kind and Mumbai roastery Subko have adopted storytelling as a way to be transparent. “We share stories about the sourcing process of various coffees, the farmers behind the beans…the baristas communicate with the community and also take them through the process of how each coffee is roasted. This storytelling, coupled with transparent communication about blends and production, has helped build trust and loyalty with Gen Z customers," says Gupta. Subko’s flagship café in Mumbai’s Bandra is designed like an experience centre with photographs and charts tracing the source of their coffees.
Also read: This Goa café source coffee from the North-East
Flavours with ‘rizz’
Incorporating unusual flavours and techniques is part of the exercise to take coffee drinking to the next level and its further gourmet-fication. Clarified cappuccinos (for which milk solids are removed from the prepared cup), café bombon (a shot of espresso served with condensed milk), and adding Indian regional flavours like jackfruit and tender coconut are some of the ways brands try to create menus that are different.
“Cheese and coffee have become an unexpected hit, especially with our Sweet Cheese Foam Latte—a seasonal beverage that instantly became a crowd favourite. We have also introduced unique beverages like Cascara Sangria made from coffee cherry, and an espresso mule made with ginger kombucha instead of ginger beer, served in a copper mug for a trendy twist," says Poojya Prasad, co-founder, The Caffeine Baar in Bengaluru.
The brand’s coffee experiential menu further explores these unexpected combinations with drinks that blend coffee with jalapeño and rose petals. “We’ve also experimented with fruit-fermented coffees, processing our coffee cherries with pineapple and papaya. The Rosemary Cinnamon Mocha has been another unique flavour," says Prasad.
D’abreo shares the stance on fruit-based coffees being the flavour of the season. “Tender coconut water with coffee, orange and other citrusy infusions—these are all popular. We have created a Clarified Cappuccino, our signature brew, which is a hit on social media. I overheard a young customer say ‘this looks like iced tea’, only to have a sip and realise that it is not," he says, adding that people often raise eyebrows at the mention of adding ginger to coffee only to love it later. “The Shoonti Kaapi created for our monsoon special is a healing flat white with organic palm jaggery and dried ginger. Using traditional mithai, we also created a limited Kaju Katli Flat White (along with silver foil) that was an unexpected hit amongst our Gen Z customers."
Sohrab Sitaram, co-founder of Delhi-based brand First Coffee, which describes itself as a “tech-driven speciality coffee chain", says that the brand recently expanded its menu to include drinks that work for the health-conscious buyer, such as the vegan options of their signature offerings like Cold Blooded Brew (an elixir made with a simple cascara syrup) and Thug Life Tropicano (double espresso and passion fruit), among others.
The founders believe that the focus on ethically sourced, 100% Arabica speciality coffee and transparent sourcing aligns with Gen Z’s demand for quality and sustainability. Sitaram adds that they serve up a variety of sustainably sourced micro-lot and house-blend roasts with diverse tasting notes. “Our Matcha Frappe and vegan options continue to be a favourite amongst the youth." At the multi-chain café Laduree, flavours like Rose Latte and Matcha Latte in almond and oat milk versions tend to be a major hit among younger coffee lovers.
Besides invigorating flavours, plant-based options, low-calorie drinks like Americano with skimmed milk, and organic ingredients are other non-negotiable attributes of the new-age coffee menu as Gen Z prioritises health and transparency.
Indeed, a lot can happen over a coffee that delivers in more ways than one. Especially so, if it’s comes aptly wrapped for the ‘gram. In a world where we’re intrinsically wired to keep a filter on, why even leave the coffee out?
Pooja Prabbhan Srijith is a lifestyle journalist based in Bangkok and New Delhi.
