Specialty espresso is at all times pushing for perfection. Whether or not it’s growing new methods to optimise espresso extraction or leveraging the facility of automation to enhance pour over brewing, it appears as if innovation by no means stops.

Lately, milk high quality has additionally grow to be a key focus of espresso retailers. With each dairy and plant milks, baristas have began to pay much more consideration to the manufacturers they use, in addition to their influence on general beverage high quality.

Largely pushed by a latest World Barista Championship rule change (which permits opponents to make use of milk blends), a small however steadily rising variety of outstanding espresso professionals have began to combine completely different milks collectively to create the “excellent” milk-based beverage. However will we see this development take off extra broadly, too?

To search out out, I spoke to Maria Kurenkova, Advertising Supervisor at MILBOK, Anthony Douglas, 2022 World Barista Champion and Analysis & Improvement lead at Axil Espresso Roasters, and Jasper De Waal, product specialist at Ahold Delhaize Espresso Firm and 2022 Dutch Barista Champion.

You may additionally like our article on how innovation within the dairy trade has improved milk high quality.

WBC rule change: A catalyst for additional innovation

The World Barista Championship has lots of affect over the espresso trade. Yearly, the competitors continues to evolve – showcasing limitless creativity and reflecting the dynamic nature of specialty espresso.

In December 2022, the Specialty Espresso Affiliation introduced the up to date guidelines and rules for the 2023 version. By far probably the most noticeable change was the addition of commercially-available plant milks. Previous to this, opponents had been restricted to completely utilizing dairy of their milk-based beverage routines.

Though the brand new plant milk rule didn’t particularly state that opponents might create their very own milk blends, some determined to take action, together with:

• Danish Barista Champion Patrik Rolf (who positioned sixth) used a mix of 90% cow’s milk and 10% coconut milk, which he stated complemented the tropical flavour notes in his espresso
• Canadian Barista Champion Ben Put, who blended dairy with oat milk
  • Some opponents even completely used oat milk, together with UK Barista Champion Ian Kissick

Following this, it got here as no actual shock that the 2024 WBC guidelines clarified that opponents might mix any commercially-available milks.

Jasper De Waal is product specialist at Ahold Delhaize Espresso Firm, a personal label roaster within the Netherlands. He’s additionally the 2022 Dutch Barista Champion and a contract marketing consultant. 

He says he used a 80:20 dairy and oat milk mix on the 2024 Dutch Barista Championship.

“I used MILBOK for its caramelised sweetness, buttery texture, and white chocolate notes,” he says. “My espresso – a pure Panamanian Gesha – had a noticeable acidity, so when mixed with dairy, it had a yoghurt-like high quality. 

“However to counteract the acidity, I additionally added Zuivelrijck oat milk for a nuttier flavour, a creamier mouthfeel, and a sweeter and tropical fruit-like flavour profile,” he provides. “Moreover, by steaming it to 50°C (122°F), I created the feel of melted ice cream.”

Why mix completely different milks?

Given the continual push for excellence and innovation in specialty espresso, it’s definitely doable that mixing completely different milks will grow to be greater than a passing development. However why do it within the first place?

One of many predominant benefits is to create distinctive flavours and textures. By combining dairy with plant milks – comparable to almond, oat, or coconut – baristas can supply totally new sensory experiences. Furthermore, the interplay of various milk textures can change and improve a beverage’s general mouthfeel and richness.

Anthony Douglas is the Analysis and Improvement lead at Axil Espresso Roasters in Melbourne, Australia. He’s additionally the 2022 World Barista Champion, and is without doubt one of the main espresso professionals that has influenced the rising apply of mixing milks.

“Lactose free milk is an effective way to spice up sweetness and carry up pure fruit notes in espresso,” he says. “A small quantity of coconut milk appears to focus on texture and elevate tropical notes, and I’ve additionally had some good outcomes with oat milk creating a greater basis for the drink general.”

Customisation has by no means been so necessary

As extra and extra shoppers prioritise personalisation, combining completely different milks may very well be one technique to meet this rising demand.

Maria Kurenkova is the Advertising Supervisor at MILBOK – an progressive dairy model which caters particularly to the specialty espresso trade

She explains that despite the fact that mixing milks looks as if a major further step within the coffee-making course of, it’s additionally recognised as a precious approach to distinguish a espresso store’s choices. 

“Incorporating strategies utilized in aggressive routines means cafés can present prospects with a greater high quality cappuccino or latte,” she says. “What’s extra, manufacturers like MILBOK’s increased protein density can improve the feel and provides a fuller physique to the ultimate beverage when blended with different milks.

“With the rising development of purposeful drinks, MILBOK’s increased protein and lactose contents, together with no added sugars, can cater to these searching for enhanced diet and pure sweetness with out synthetic components,” she provides.

Sensible concerns for espresso retailers

There’s clearly lots of curiosity in milk blends, nevertheless it’s nonetheless necessary to contemplate the sensible implications for espresso store house owners and baristas. From selecting completely different manufacturers to mixing to the “excellent” ratio, mixing milks to get the perfect outcomes requires nice care, experience, and loads of time to experiment.

Components comparable to high quality, consistency, and availability of milk manufacturers will play an enormous position within the decision-making course of. Moreover, costs and potential partnerships with native producers or firms might affect their decisions. 

“Throughout my competitors preparation, as soon as I had decided which milks I loved, I ready particular person coffees with completely different milks and began to mix them utilizing completely different ratios, relying on particular flavour notes I needed to focus on,” Anthony says.

Though apply is definitely useful, baristas should even have a radical understanding of the traits of various milks and the way they work together with the flavours in espresso, in addition to how they influence texture and mouthfeel. 

Maria says MILBOK hosts workshops, which embrace milk tastings and milk-based beverage cuppings, which might be designed to reinforce baristas’ capacity to discern extra delicate nuances in various kinds of milk and their processing strategies.

“We assist information baristas via the science of including milk to espresso and tea, and likewise encourage them to experiment with progressive recipes,” she says.

May milk blends grow to be a wider development?

Trying forward, the apply of blending milks will certainly grow to be much more outstanding at competitions – and probably even in additional high-end espresso retailers. However given the time and ability it takes to develop these blends, we’re unlikely to see them pop up on many café menus within the close to future.

“Shopper schooling will play a key position on this rising development,” Maria says. “There will probably be an more and more greater concentrate on utilizing milk with a better protein-to-fat ratio to create richer, extra indulgent milk-based drinks.”

Anthony, in the meantime, believes that in time, an increasing number of espresso retailers will heighten their concentrate on the milks they use.

“Sooner or later, I can foresee extra cafés tailoring their milk choices like baristas do at competitions,” he tells me. “Mixing milks can create a harmonious stability to focus on the perfect qualities of each the espresso and milk.

“Most espresso retailers serve a number of milk choices anyway, so mixing them turns into a simple method to make use of components available to create distinctive flavour experiences,” he provides.

Milk blends can definitely assist enhance general beverage high quality, however consistency and practicality are additionally necessary concerns.

Whereas combining completely different milks can assist change or improve the sensory expertise, espresso store house owners and baristas nonetheless have to account for any logistical challenges. In time, nonetheless, we might even see extra milk blends on espresso store menus.

Loved this? Then learn our article on which milk is finest for latte artwork.

Photograph credit: Riverina Contemporary, Horecava, Specialty Espresso Affiliation, World Espresso Occasions, MILBOK

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