Coffee Syrups Can Transform Your Coffee

Look at any real estate material promoting an area to live in and they will invariably use phrases like "enjoy the cosmopolitan cafe lifestyle just outside your front door". A cafe culture in your area is seen as a good thing invoking images of the bygone bohemian coffee houses of Europe. This has led to large increases in coffee shops, from large multi-nationals like Starbucks, to individual organic cafes selling Fairtrade coffee blends from around the world.

Such coffee houses will offer enticingly named libations such as Dark Caramel Latte or Vanilla Gingerbread Cappucino. These specialty coffees are flavored using one or more coffee syrups. Syrups are available in many different flavors from vanilla to caramel, amaretto to raspberry. To me, nothing beats a strong espresso, but if I am going to be sitting for a while watching the world go by, a longer coffee, flavored with a premium syrup is a regular choice.

Coffee syrups are made from differing quality ingredients which obviously affects the flavor. The best brands are made from the finest nuts and fruits and distilled down into the syrup used in coffee. Top brands to look out for in your local coffee shop include Da Vinci, Monin and Dolce. You should look for syrups with a higher concentration of the ingredient compared to the syrup itself. If you intend to use the syrups at home, it is worth spending the extra for the best quality brands because they will be cheaper in the long run and you will have a much better taste experience per cup.

Another thing to keep in mind when selecting a coffee syrup is that some makes will curdle your hot milk. Cheaper brands may also separate if heated too highly. Again, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for.

You might think that putting syrup into your coffee would not be the best idea of people who are watching their weight. However The top brands are typically fat and cholesterol-free. In addition, sugar-free coffee syrups are readily available without compromising on flavor. They are great for people on low-carbohydrate diets too.

Coffee syrups are also not just for coffee. They can be used in other drinks, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. For example you can make delicious iced frappes. They are also great simply added to soda water. They are perfect for adding to kid's drinks as you can make interesting concoctions that are far lower in sugar than regular soft drinks.

This has hopefully provided an interesting overview of what coffee syrups are, what they can be used for and what the differences are between different price points.


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Patrick Attlee is a committed coffee buff who writes about coffee in all its guises. You can find out more about gourmet flavored coffee syrups at http://coffee-syrups.net