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What comes to your mind when you think of gourmet flavored coffee?  Mmmm….maybe one of the all-time favorites like Hazelnut or Irish Crème pops into your head.  But what about some of the newer alternatives?  You can find just about any flavor you desire, from White Chocolate Mousse to Kiwi Syrup to Georgia Pecan and even Banana Nut Cream.  And at what point does coffee quit being coffee?  Are you drinking some coffee with a little crème or are you drinking crème with a touch of coffee?  The good news is that as the consumer, you can drink whatever you like and decide for yourself when you want to quit calling it coffee. 

The idea of gourmet flavored coffee probably seems like a new concept; however, flavoring coffee dates back to the very beginning of coffee history.  Looking back on the history of coffee, you can see where cultures regularly added nuts and spices, including cinnamon, cardamom and even pepper to enhance the flavor of the coffee.   The difference today is that with modern science and technology, one can create almost any synthetic flavor conceivable.  The flavors themselves are acquired from either the natural plant itself or are created artificially by copying the natural oil and aromatic flavor components of the desired taste.  The synthetic flavor agents are chemicals which have the same chemical structure that the naturally occurring flavor has.  Some examples of naturally occurring flavoring oils include various nuts, berries, spices, cocoa beans and vanilla beans.  The number of different compound combinations required to achieve some of these subtle flavors is dizzying.  Next time you purchase gourmet flavored coffee, read the label to see if it is “naturally” or “artificially” flavored. 

The flavoring process is usually performed to the roasted bean itself before it is ground, although you can flavor the ground coffee bean by blending in a dry form of the flavoring agent.  When flavoring the whole roasted bean, the concoction of oils is added very gradually to the beans usually through a spray mechanism to thoroughly and evenly coat all of the beans, avoiding spraying too fast or too much to decrease the chances of concentrating the flavor in any one spot.  The beans are then agitated for a set amount of time to ensure an equal and uniform coating of the oils is achieved.  The beans will display a glossy finish when the process is complete and ensures a balanced dispersion.  On the other hand, the dry form of flavoring includes mixing the ground coffee with the powdered form of flavoring for a period of time, usually at least 24 hours.  The natural moisture in the coffee promotes cohesion of the flavoring and color with the coffee grounds.  In a nutshell (pun intended), that’s how you get gourmet flavored coffee. 

Gourmet flavored coffee is all about enhancing the natural flavor of coffee and making the cup more inviting by adding complimentary flavors that the individual consumer prefers.  The possibilities are endless as new flavors take root in the imagination.  Whether you choose flavored or non-flavored coffee or whether you add syrups or flavored creamers, I think all of us can agree that a fresh cup of coffee sure makes the day go smoother. 

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