Horchata Frappe, courtesy of Cafe Essentials

If you want a new flavor that is a little rich to start your morning, try Horchata, one of the four new Café Essentials’ frappe flavors by Dr. Smoothie. Horchata is a Latin flavor that has been permeating the major markets.  It has the rich flavor of simmered rice, cinnamon bark, and just a hint of vanilla.  The Horchata frappe is a new way to get your morning lift and out of that flavor rut.  If you would like chocolate or just aren’t into cinnamon, Café Essentials released the Horchata as part of four new frappe flavors including: Chocolate Chip Mint, Kona Mocha, and Java Chip.

Cookie Butter Latte, image courtesy of Monin

For those who just want to add a little flavor to your morning drink Monin has two new syrups: Hawaiian Island and Cookie Butter.  I’ll bet many of you are now drooling at the idea of a cookie flavored drink.  If it doesn’t strike you right away think of a latte flavored like a speculoos cookie.  The speculoos cookie is a spiced butter cookie from the Netherlands area, often made before Christmas.  You don’t have to wait until December to try this warm flavor; you can indulge in it now with a Cookie Butter Latte.

Yuzu Lemonade, image courtesy of Monin

Monin didn’t stop with new syrups, they also have a new fruit purée called Yuzu.  Unless you are in the know for flavor trends you probably did the same thing we did when it came in the office, “What is Yuzu?”  It is a fruit that looks remarkably like a small grapefruit, and tastes like a tart cross between a grapefruit, lemon, and mandarin.  Yuzu is often used in Japanese and Korean recipes as a replacement for lemon or lime.  Monin has a recipe to make a mean Yuzu Lemonade, which could be the answer to anyone who feels their lemonade is too sweet.  If you aren’t one for sour fruits then you can try the other new Monin fruit purées: Granny Smith Apple, Black Cherry, and Blackberry.

If you aren’t really the coffee type then checkout Sipp’s latest flavor, Organic Zesty Orange.  This sounds pretty normal but not when you get the kick of jalapeno at the end.  This isn’t your grandma’s orange soda! Organic Zesty Orange has bold flavors of blood orange and lime followed by that jalapeno extracts.  Sipp made a Zesty Orange Margarita just in time for Cinco de Mayo.

Image courtesy of Sipp

Spring is a great time to try new flavors and Houston’s has so many new options, what are you waiting for?  Contact your sales person today for more information or to place your order.

The post These Spring Flavors are No Joke! appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Photo courtesy of Coffee Fest

Coffee Fest, bringing retailers, distributors, and manufacturers together for more than twenty years, buzzed the Portland Metro area this past weekend, offering up everything from demonstrations to samples, cuppings to competitions, trends to education. As described on the Coffee Fest website, “If it looks like coffee, smells like coffee, goes well with coffee, or is coffee, you are guaranteed to find it at Coffee Fest.” This proved to be true as we trekked our way through the 90+ booths at the Oregon Convention Center, tasting our way up and down the aisles in a maybe not-so-orderly fashion.

This year’s highlight for Torani was the utterly amazing Sweet Heat Syrup, which they showcased in a Mango Real Fruit Smoothie…delish! Just enough of a bite to know it’s there, not so much that it’s uncomfortable. While it was great in a mango smoothie, I couldn’t help but imagine other flavors I would love to try! Torani has also rolled out three new sweetener syrups—Agave, Honey, and Cane Sugar—for use in coffee, cocktails, sodas, teas, and more.

Stopping by the Monin booth was a treat. This year they highlighted their Soda Collection with such syrups as Old Fashioned Ginger Ale and Old Fashioned Root Beer, Orange Tangerine, and Vanilla Crème. With fantastic new flavors such as these, they still wowed with sweet concoctions such as lavender vanilla, a floral take on a Crème Soda that smelled and looked as heavenly as you might imagine.

Oatmeal is still as hot as it was in the 2013 show. Straw Propeller Gourmet Foods continues to impress with their innovative oatmeal flavors, and this year’s new addition of a children’s line, with smaller but sweeter portions that appeal to the youngsters hitting the coffee shops with their families. And Umpqua Oats has hit yet another homerun with its amazing Vanilla Almond Crunch, sure to be a coffeehouse favorite!

Dr. Smoothie booth at Coffee Fest PDX 2014. Photo Credit: Christina Graiff

If smoothies and frappes are more your thing, then Coffee Fest 2014 in Portland didn’t disappoint. Cappuccine, Dr. Smoothie Brands, Frozen Bean, Jet, and Ghiradelli chocolate Co. were whipping up decadence in their blenders: frozen concoctions of chocolates, fruits, nuts, and even vegetables were tantalizing the tastebuds of show-walkers. Cappuccine received second place honors in the Best New Product Consumables for their Tart Culture Smoothie.

Manish Shah, Maya Tea Co. Photo Credit: Christina Graiff

It seems as though every year has a top-trending product, and this year was no different. 2014 is sure to be the year of the chai tea, with the aromatic blend of Indian spices and herbs filling the air on every aisle of the show. This tea, prepared black, with or without milk, with or without sweetener, is hitting the market with a force. Oregon Chai continues to offer their tried-and-true concentrate or powder, with just the right amount of spice and sweet. And Maya Chai offers their Original and extra-spicy Devi 11:1 concentrates—just blend with milk and enjoy hot or cold. Stay tuned, too, for Raga, Maya Chai’s unsweetened version of their amazing blend,available in 2015.

Coffee beans, espresso machines, water filtration systems, blenders, teas, chocolates, cup sleeves and other accessories, and even Espresso Supply’s third place winner in the Best New Product Non-Consumable category—Bonavita 1.7L Gooseneck Variable Temperature Kettle, sure to become a favorite in shops across the nation. You name it, and Coffee Fest 2014 had it. A conglomerate of vendors and coffeehouse owners alike mingled the aisles, networking with and learning from one another, swapping ideas and comparing trends, and in general sharing a love of coffee. I will definitely attend next year’s Coffee Fest (again at the Convention Center)…will I see you there in 2015?

The post Coffee, Tea, and Trends: Coffee Fest Portland 2014 appeared first on Houston's Blog.