By Amma Prempeh
Courier Staff Writer
While seasonal drinks such as pumpkin spice lattes and gingerbread frappuccinos have left the Starbucks menu, a new drink has made an appearance. Starbucks in the United States are now serving the “flat white”. The flat white is a perennial favorite in Australia and the United Kingdom. However it has been an elusive drink in the US, the domain of artisan coffeehouses of Seattle and Williamsburg. Starbucks is marketing its latest addition under the slogan “Simplicity is its own artistry”. Starbucks bypassed conducting a market test, as it had with it’s short lived Sorbetto and Chanchito drink creations. The flat white joined nationwide menus on Tuesday, January 6. There have been mixed receptions from civilians and coffee experts, as well as Americans and those abroad.
The flat white is a compromise between a latte and traditional espresso. X-Men actor Hugh Jackman, owner of Laughing Man Coffee & Tea in New York City, says the flat white is “like a latte with a little less milk and more espresso”. The flat white is made with double “ristretto” espresso shots, which Starbucks says “delivers a sweeter, more intense coffee flavor”. Microfoamed whole milk is free-poured into the drink, which is finished with Starbuck’s “signature latte art dot”. The end product is described by many as rich, velvety with a creamy feel.
However, I found the drink was nowhere near sweet enough, but still enjoyable to sip while studying. The flat white is simple, and to the point- and makes the casual coffee drinker feel that much more classy. It costs between $3.75 and $4.25 depending on the store’s location. It is $4.25 at the 1752 Decoto Road location by Logan. The flat white’s popularity and origin can be traced to Oceania in the 1980’s. Both Melbourne, Australia and Wellington, New Zealand claim to have invented the flat white. The international coffee community attributing the drink to either one tends to spark fierce culinary/cultural rivalry. The Starbucks’ press release gave the patent to Australia, to the protest of their Antipodean neighbor. New Zealanders continue to claim it as theirs, with Vangelis Vitalia, New Zealand Ambassador to the UN & NATO, adding on Twitter, “Don’t believe Ozzie counter claims!”
Grudges are being raised Down Under toward America as well. The flat white is encountering controversy due to its method of preparation. Australians and American coffee connoisseurs have both greeted Starbuck’s adaption of the flat white with the same outrage once reserved for American versions of British TV shows. But what Starbucks offers is an adaption. Here’s why that’s a problem: As Olivia Grants of London’s St Clements Cafe detailed to Business Insider UK in 2014, size matters. A traditional flat white is about 5.5 oz. The proper cup size is key into order to achieve the correct ratio of coffee to milk, and thus the correct taste. However, Starbucks’ smallest size is 8 oz, 2.5 oz more than standard. Many critics have gone on to comment that Americans will be robbed of the authentic experience, and Grants advises seeking out “independent cafes stateside”.
The “independent cafe” angle is a major theme surrounding the flat white. Articles and press releases about the item will invariably be filled with the words “hipster”, “devotee”, “extravagant” and “pretentious”. Its lukewarm reception in America could be contributed to its alienness to anyone outside the high-brow coffee community. Will McKitterick, an analyst with IBISWorld, an industry research group stated “Starbucks is trying to cash in on this trend. It’s definitely a high-brow drink in the U.S., despite the fact that it is fairly commonplace in Australia”. There is predicted to be some clash between Starbucks, and its wide variety of customers, and American indie coffee shops with their often upper class patrons.
I find the flat white is a fine choice for any coffee drinker looking for an unsweetened alternative to the milkshake-like Frappuccino or the familiar Caramel Macchiato. It’s reception has been slow, but as one barista at the 1752 Decoto shop commented, “It’ll be on the rise”. And it is as unlikely to incite culture or class warfare as the press would make it seem.
