The Barista Guide to Non-Dairy

These are many people’s favourite alternative to dairy milk. They often have a full-bodied consistency that can help create a rich and satisfying drink. And, because oats themselves have a mild taste, oat-based drinks shouldn’t change the taste of your coffee that much.

These are many people’s favourite alternative to dairy milk. They often have a full-bodied consistency that can help create a rich and satisfying drink. And, because oats themselves have a mild taste, oat-based drinks shouldn’t change the taste of your coffee that much.

They’re made from soya beans, which are usually soaked, ground, boiled and filtered. The different brands of soya drink are made using slightly different techniques, and that’s why there are drinks that range from thin and watery to thick and creamy.

These have been available for many years, but they need to be treated with a bit of care. Soya drinks without preservatives can separate when added to the hot coffee. That’s why experienced baristas pay particular attention to the temperature of the soya drink when they’re adding it to the coffee.

It really depends on which one you choose. Soya drinks can make your coffee taste a bit “beany”, but they usually give coffee a nice, smooth consistency. Some baristas say that the soya flavour can complements South American coffees but can be too powerful for the fruity notes of African beans.

Usually, they’re made from oats that have been roasted at low temperatures to add flavour. That’s really similar to coffee-roasting: using heat to release flavours that would otherwise be hidden. Water is then added to the roasted oats, then it is filtered to create the final drink.

Almonds keep a lot of their distinctive nutty flavour, so an almond drink might work well for you if you’re happy to change the character of your coffee. Try an almond alternative for yourself: it might just give your coffee a completely new deliciousness.

Almond drinks are now a big favourite in barista-run cafés. Some people say they can make coffee taste a little bitter, so it’s a good idea to experiment with different almond drinks to find the one you like.

Naturally, the makers of almond drinks all follow their own unique processes and ingredients, but the basic method is to soak almonds in water, then filter the results to create the final drink.