By KAREN HEINSELMAN, Courier Staff Writer

CEDAR FALLS — After a long Saturday of ducking in and out of shops for holiday gifts, a blustery wind sends this patron to the nearest coffee shop for a well-earned pick-me-up, something to warm the body from head to toe.

Cup of Joe’s menu suggestions like “Egg Nog Latte” — like liquid cheesecake — or “Gingerbread” — tasty cookie meets latte — promise not only a jolt of energy but also a shot of holiday cheer. Those wishing to avoid or lessen caffeine might add a sweet syrup, such as cinnamon or peppermint, to a steamer — warm milk with froth plus flavor — or to hot cocoa.

From spruced-up cappuccinos to flavored black blends, coffee suppliers and vendors keep coming up with more and more seasonal beverages, summer, fall, winter and of course, Christmas.

And consumers are drinking it up, said Ann Eastman, owner of Cup of Joe in Cedar Falls. Come cold weather, customers old and new are more willing to treat themselves to a drink or try a traditional flavor in a new way, said Eastman.

“They are pretty open-minded,” said Eastman. “Adventurous.”

Staff suggestions, such as peppermint patty mocha, can take the stress out of menu decision-making.

“It takes the guess work out of it,” Eastman said. “You don’t always want to invent your own drink.”

Committed coffee drinkers can down a hot cup all year, any weather. But cold air courts customers who suddenly crave apple cider. Who wants that spicy juice when it’s hot outside, said A.J. Jensen, 21, a student at the University of Northern Iowa.

Adding a new name to a familiar flavor can add to the experience, some say.

“I would definitely order something cute and Christmasy if it was a choice between two things,” said Cathy Twito on a trip to The Lampost Theatre Co.’s coffee house in Cedar Falls.

An intriguing name and a new flavor tempts customers’ tastebuds, said Rick Peyser, a spokesman for Green Mountain Coffee Co. based in Vermont.

“It’s eye-catching and it is festive, and I think that’s what people are looking for,” Peyser said.

Dale Boeke, owner of Jag’s Java on University Avenue in Cedar Falls, keeps holiday blend on the shelf year-round. The cross of vanilla, amaretto and hazelnut is “one of our top ones.”

How to flavor

Looking for a smooth, black brew with a “‘tis the season” twist? Not all holiday features are milky or sugary. Unlike sweetened lattes and cappuccinos, flavored whole-bean coffee gets additional taste and aroma shortly after the roasting process.

Randolph Bryan, owner of Cottonwood Canyon, has been busy roasting, flavoring and grinding hundreds of pounds of beans that smell like Christmas. “Mistletoe Mocha.” And yes, egg nog.

Some beans naturally produce flavors described as fruity, nutty or smoky. But to get a strong sense of hazelnut, cinnamon or chocolate, Bryan adds highly concentrated extracts.

Such flavors should not overpower the coffee, said Bryan, who roasts and flavors beans in his Cedar Falls shop within full view of customers.

“The key is to get the coffee to absorb the natural flavor. You are going to have some of the taste in there but it is not overpowering.”

Bryan starts with a hard bean like Central or South American that works well as a light roast. Dark roasts produces too much oil for flavored additives to stick.

Once beans are roasted, warmth opens pores of the bean and oil appears. Later in the process, Bryan squirts his mistletoe mocha mix over the beans, a liquid of chocolate, cinnamon and chestnut. Pores entrap the aroma when the bean cools.

In the end, the beverage should still taste like a smooth cup of coffee. But a convincing aroma can delightfully confuse the senses.

“Your taste and your smell work hand-in-hand,” he said.

A holiday name can also help customers decipher what they want and picture what they are about to enjoy, said Peyser of Green Moutain Coffee.

“Flavored coffees capture the imagination,” Peyser said. “If you say it’s hazelnut cream, people try to imagine that.”

Cup of Joe management taste-tests the latest brews to make sure the drink is as good as the name and fits its customer base. But “Cookies for Santa” — vanilla cookie dough with almond and butter brickle — made the cut. The shop rotatea holiday flavors and offers samples.

There is only one thing better than enjoying a mug of “Snowflake Trio”: Purchasing grounds for a friend or family member.

Contact Karen Heinselman at 291-1482 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com  

By KAREN HEINSELMAN, Courier Staff Writer

CEDAR FALLS — After a long Saturday of ducking in and out of shops for holiday gifts, a blustery wind sends this patron to the nearest coffee shop for a well-earned pick-me-up, something to warm the body from head to toe.

Cup of Joe’s menu suggestions like “Egg Nog Latte” — like liquid cheesecake — or “Gingerbread” — tasty cookie meets latte — promise not only a jolt of energy but also a shot of holiday cheer. Those wishing to avoid or lessen caffeine might add a sweet syrup, such as cinnamon or peppermint, to a steamer — warm milk with froth plus flavor — or to hot cocoa.

From spruced-up cappuccinos to flavored black blends, coffee suppliers and vendors keep coming up with more and more seasonal beverages, summer, fall, winter and of course, Christmas.

And consumers are drinking it up, said Ann Eastman, owner of Cup of Joe in Cedar Falls. Come cold weather, customers old and new are more willing to treat themselves to a drink or try a traditional flavor in a new way, said Eastman.

“They are pretty open-minded,” said Eastman. “Adventurous.”

Staff suggestions, such as peppermint patty mocha, can take the stress out of menu decision-making.

“It takes the guess work out of it,” Eastman said. “You don’t always want to invent your own drink.”

Committed coffee drinkers can down a hot cup all year, any weather. But cold air courts customers who suddenly crave apple cider. Who wants that spicy juice when it’s hot outside, said A.J. Jensen, 21, a student at the University of Northern Iowa.

Adding a new name to a familiar flavor can add to the experience, some say.

“I would definitely order something cute and Christmasy if it was a choice between two things,” said Cathy Twito on a trip to The Lampost Theatre Co.’s coffee house in Cedar Falls.

An intriguing name and a new flavor tempts customers’ tastebuds, said Rick Peyser, a spokesman for Green Mountain Coffee Co. based in Vermont.

“It’s eye-catching and it is festive, and I think that’s what people are looking for,” Peyser said.

Dale Boeke, owner of Jag’s Java on University Avenue in Cedar Falls, keeps holiday blend on the shelf year-round. The cross of vanilla, amaretto and hazelnut is “one of our top ones.”

How to flavor

Looking for a smooth, black brew with a “‘tis the season” twist? Not all holiday features are milky or sugary. Unlike sweetened lattes and cappuccinos, flavored whole-bean coffee gets additional taste and aroma shortly after the roasting process.

Randolph Bryan, owner of Cottonwood Canyon, has been busy roasting, flavoring and grinding hundreds of pounds of beans that smell like Christmas. “Mistletoe Mocha.” And yes, egg nog.

Some beans naturally produce flavors described as fruity, nutty or smoky. But to get a strong sense of hazelnut, cinnamon or chocolate, Bryan adds highly concentrated extracts.

Such flavors should not overpower the coffee, said Bryan, who roasts and flavors beans in his Cedar Falls shop within full view of customers.

“The key is to get the coffee to absorb the natural flavor. You are going to have some of the taste in there but it is not overpowering.”

Bryan starts with a hard bean like Central or South American that works well as a light roast. Dark roasts produces too much oil for flavored additives to stick.

Once beans are roasted, warmth opens pores of the bean and oil appears. Later in the process, Bryan squirts his mistletoe mocha mix over the beans, a liquid of chocolate, cinnamon and chestnut. Pores entrap the aroma when the bean cools.

In the end, the beverage should still taste like a smooth cup of coffee. But a convincing aroma can delightfully confuse the senses.

“Your taste and your smell work hand-in-hand,” he said.

A holiday name can also help customers decipher what they want and picture what they are about to enjoy, said Peyser of Green Moutain Coffee.

“Flavored coffees capture the imagination,” Peyser said. “If you say it’s hazelnut cream, people try to imagine that.”

Cup of Joe management taste-tests the latest brews to make sure the drink is as good as the name and fits its customer base. But “Cookies for Santa” — vanilla cookie dough with almond and butter brickle — made the cut. The shop rotatea holiday flavors and offers samples.

There is only one thing better than enjoying a mug of “Snowflake Trio”: Purchasing grounds for a friend or family member.

Contact Karen Heinselman at 291-1482 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com  

By KAREN HEINSELMAN, Courier Staff Writer

CEDAR FALLS — After a long Saturday of ducking in and out of shops for holiday gifts, a blustery wind sends this patron to the nearest coffee shop for a well-earned pick-me-up, something to warm the body from head to toe.

Cup of Joe’s menu suggestions like “Egg Nog Latte” — like liquid cheesecake — or “Gingerbread” — tasty cookie meets latte — promise not only a jolt of energy but also a shot of holiday cheer. Those wishing to avoid or lessen caffeine might add a sweet syrup, such as cinnamon or peppermint, to a steamer — warm milk with froth plus flavor — or to hot cocoa.

From spruced-up cappuccinos to flavored black blends, coffee suppliers and vendors keep coming up with more and more seasonal beverages, summer, fall, winter and of course, Christmas.

And consumers are drinking it up, said Ann Eastman, owner of Cup of Joe in Cedar Falls. Come cold weather, customers old and new are more willing to treat themselves to a drink or try a traditional flavor in a new way, said Eastman.

“They are pretty open-minded,” said Eastman. “Adventurous.”

Staff suggestions, such as peppermint patty mocha, can take the stress out of menu decision-making.

“It takes the guess work out of it,” Eastman said. “You don’t always want to invent your own drink.”

Committed coffee drinkers can down a hot cup all year, any weather. But cold air courts customers who suddenly crave apple cider. Who wants that spicy juice when it’s hot outside, said A.J. Jensen, 21, a student at the University of Northern Iowa.

Adding a new name to a familiar flavor can add to the experience, some say.

“I would definitely order something cute and Christmasy if it was a choice between two things,” said Cathy Twito on a trip to The Lampost Theatre Co.’s coffee house in Cedar Falls.

An intriguing name and a new flavor tempts customers’ tastebuds, said Rick Peyser, a spokesman for Green Mountain Coffee Co. based in Vermont.

“It’s eye-catching and it is festive, and I think that’s what people are looking for,” Peyser said.

Dale Boeke, owner of Jag’s Java on University Avenue in Cedar Falls, keeps holiday blend on the shelf year-round. The cross of vanilla, amaretto and hazelnut is “one of our top ones.”

How to flavor

Looking for a smooth, black brew with a “‘tis the season” twist? Not all holiday features are milky or sugary. Unlike sweetened lattes and cappuccinos, flavored whole-bean coffee gets additional taste and aroma shortly after the roasting process.

Randolph Bryan, owner of Cottonwood Canyon, has been busy roasting, flavoring and grinding hundreds of pounds of beans that smell like Christmas. “Mistletoe Mocha.” And yes, egg nog.

Some beans naturally produce flavors described as fruity, nutty or smoky. But to get a strong sense of hazelnut, cinnamon or chocolate, Bryan adds highly concentrated extracts.

Such flavors should not overpower the coffee, said Bryan, who roasts and flavors beans in his Cedar Falls shop within full view of customers.

“The key is to get the coffee to absorb the natural flavor. You are going to have some of the taste in there but it is not overpowering.”

Bryan starts with a hard bean like Central or South American that works well as a light roast. Dark roasts produces too much oil for flavored additives to stick.

Once beans are roasted, warmth opens pores of the bean and oil appears. Later in the process, Bryan squirts his mistletoe mocha mix over the beans, a liquid of chocolate, cinnamon and chestnut. Pores entrap the aroma when the bean cools.

In the end, the beverage should still taste like a smooth cup of coffee. But a convincing aroma can delightfully confuse the senses.

“Your taste and your smell work hand-in-hand,” he said.

A holiday name can also help customers decipher what they want and picture what they are about to enjoy, said Peyser of Green Moutain Coffee.

“Flavored coffees capture the imagination,” Peyser said. “If you say it’s hazelnut cream, people try to imagine that.”

Cup of Joe management taste-tests the latest brews to make sure the drink is as good as the name and fits its customer base. But “Cookies for Santa” — vanilla cookie dough with almond and butter brickle — made the cut. The shop rotatea holiday flavors and offers samples.

There is only one thing better than enjoying a mug of “Snowflake Trio”: Purchasing grounds for a friend or family member.

Contact Karen Heinselman at 291-1482 or karen.heinselman@wcfcourier.com