Top Barista Signature Drinks

A signature drink is a unique or special drink served only in a particular food establishment or barista/bartender. Signature drinks can be alcohol-based or coffee-based. (Keep in mind that as a barista, you might also work with alcoholic beverages too!)

The main feature is that signature drinks have a unique combination of ingredients put together.

They are also usually served uniquely in a unique glass or with other decorations and garnishment.

As the competition among coffee shops grows, you will find that many of them will highlight their unique concept with exclusive coffee drinks.

Signature drinks are a great opportunity to attract new customers and stand out among neighboring coffee shops. Without a doubt, signature drinks also allow the creation of a truly remarkable coffee shop experience.

When baristas create signature drinks, they incorporate their personality, experience, local culture, or some exotic ingredients they’ve found. Some signature coffee drinks have a certain concept, theme, or color. It’s trendy to order signature drinks during various public and private events: movie festivals, weddings, corporate events.

Signature drinks dedicated to seasons or holidays are often called Season specials or Seasonal drinks.

As you move beyond your initial barista training, you’ll probably want to experiment with some signature drinks of your own.

 

How a barista's signature drink differs from regular coffee drinks?

Color

Depending on the ingredients, barista signature drinks can come in all colors of the rainbow. It can also have mixed or gradient colors. For example, blue color comes from algae powder; green – from Matcha tea; red – from beetroot; yellow – from turmeric, etc.

Decorations

Some signature coffee drinks can be decorated with almond flakes, fresh or dried fruit or berries, dried or fresh edible flowers, flower petals, citrus peel, spices like star anise, cinnamon sticks, cloves, saffron, herbs like rosemary or thyme, etc.

It can also be lollipops, ice cream, sauces of all kinds.

Ingredients

Signature drinks always use uncommon ingredients. Often it’s milk. The most simple signature drink can be created with any milk substitute.

You may utilize almond, coconut, rice, cashew, hemp, and soy milk for your latte. Next, add a shot of any syrup of your choice. And your first signature drink is ready.

A few common ideas: Almond Caramel Latte, Vanilla Oatmeal Latte, Lavender Spring Cappuccino, Pumpkin Cream Mocha, etc.

Other popular liquid ingredients for signature drinks are tropical juices, fruit or other sauces, cream, rooibos tea, cascara (coffee cherry tea), cold brew, coca-cola, spirits, tonic water, etc.

It’s trendy to add vegetable peel, brown sugar, salt, peanut butter, jelly, fresh and dried fruit (dates go especially well with coffee!), spices, and herbs.

Balance

No matter what ingredients you choose, remember that balance is the key. The secret to a balanced drink is the right proportions that allow you to highlight the taste of coffee and catch the selected ingredients' notes. When a barista creates a signature drink, he balances natural flavors by avoiding too many syrups and sugars.

Art and creativity

The art of presentation is crucial for any signature drink. Take your time to think about how the idea of your drink can be presented, what glass or cup you will serve it in, and what will accompany the drink. Many barista signature drinks are served in transparent glasses so the customer can see the layers of coffee, milk, and other ingredients. It’s common to use small tulip-shaped glasses or any cocktail glasses if your drink is mixed with alcohol.

Developing Your Skill And Art For Barista Signature Drinks

Signature drinks are trendy, fun, and appealing. They also work to sharpen the skills of baristas and entice daring customers. Even experienced baristas need to continue their barista training regimen and hone in on developing their skills.

As a result, an increase in coffee shops introduces custom-made coffee drinks to elevate the customer experience.

Signature drinks create added value for coffee shops. That’s why many coffee shops offer extra money or other bonuses for their baristas who come up with a cool signature drink. Moreover, because signature drinks cost more, they significantly increase coffee shops’ revenue and potentially barista tips for a great and creative job.

At the World Barista Championship or any national barista championship, the participants are expected to prepare several non-alcoholic signature drinks for evaluation. Signature drinks are being judged by appealing presentation, functionality, creativity, and synergy with coffee.

Your barista training will evolve from coffee preparation to storyteller. A barista should prepare, introduce, and explain clearly the idea of his or her signature drinks. The ability to narrate your customer’s experience will enhance your coffee beverage. Most of the points can be scored for taste balance and flavor of the signature drink.

If you, as a barista, want to develop a signature drink, you can research what Barista Champions have done in previous years and modify their recipes to match better your signature drink idea or your coffee shop concept.

When creating a signature drink, a barista should keep the following in mind:

Trends in Flavor

Talk to other baristas or coffee professionals about what’s trending this season: it can be turmeric and ginger, buckthorn, lemon, matcha tea, acai berries, or even charcoal! Follow Starbucks' social media profiles because this coffee giant often knows what will be tending or perhaps create a trend itself.

Customers’ preferences

During your long barista shifts, you have probably noticed what type of milk, syrups, and other additions your customers order the most and build around your customers' wants.

Perhaps, you can add some decorations and your signature drink is ready!

If you don’t know what your customers like the most, you ask your manager to create an online poll to find out what your customers like or want the most. The customer who came up with the best idea can be offered a free drink or other gifts.

Instagrammable drinks

Your customers will be even happier with new, unusual flavors if they can post them on Instagram. Think about the presentation of your drink – it should be appealing and photogenic. Extra marketing through social media hasn’t hurt anyone so far.

Get fellow baristas’ opinion.

When you come up with a drink idea, let other baristas try it. It’s always a good idea to get the opinion of other coffee lovers. They might like your drink to be perfectly balanced or have some ideas on improving the taste by highlighting certain coffee notes or other flavors. When you decide on the drink, make sure that all baristas know the recipe and make the signature drink consistently well, no matter who’s a shift.

Proportions are key.

Adding too many sweet or sugary ingredients will make a customer feel like drinking syrup or juice. Besides, not everyone likes sweetened drinks. For example, you can transform an Iced Caramel Latte (which contains three caramel syrup shots) into Ginger Cookie Caramel Latte by adding a shot – not more – of each mentioned syrup.

If your coffee drinks are espresso-based, you don’t want to mask the taste of espresso – especially if it’s a specialty roast. On the contrary, you want to highlight it with other additions like nuts, chocolate, caramel. It's recommended for fresh acidic roasts to blend them with unexpected flavors, like citrus, mango, or kiwi. The notes of your coffee can tell you what ingredients will highlight it the best.

Take your time

Sometimes, the first try may not be successful. Or your fellow baristas might tell you that your drink is imbalanced or doesn’t look good enough. Don’t get upset! Take your time to build on your coffee knowledge. Start small by adding one or two ingredients at once. Tiny tweaks can lead to big changes, as they say. So try mixing different flavors until you find the best one.

Top 5 Barista Champion Signature Recipes

We’ve looked at the World Barista Championships results for the past several years and selected the top 5 signature drink recipes that can be recreated in your coffee shop. Many Barista Champions use unusual or custom-made ingredients, but the following recipes include easily accessible ingredients found in most coffee shops or coffee shop vendors.

1. Rose Infused Latte

This beautifully decorated pink drink will be an amazing addition to your coffee shop menu. The unforgettable rose aroma and pink color will make this drink an exceptional treat for your customers.

What you need:
6 dashes of rose water,
1 tsp of beetroot powder
1 shot of maple syrup
one espresso shot
6.5 oz of milk of choice
1 tsp of edible rose petals

Add rose water, beetroot powder, maple syrup into a cup and stir well. Add a shot of espresso and stir again. Froth the milk and pour into the mix, creating a latte art pattern. Sprinkle rose petals around latte art design along the cup rim.

2. Mango Espresso Tonic

This is a wonderful summertime drink with notes of exotic fruits. Refreshing and sweet, it won’t leave anyone uninspired.

What you need:
2.5 tbsp of mango puree
5 oz of soda water
3.5 oz of ice cubes
1 double shot of espresso
Lime peel and a slice of lime

Use a cold glass straight out of a fridge. Fill it with ice. Brew a double shot of espresso and mix it with mango puree. Stir the mix well and slowly pour it over the ice. Add soda water. Decorate the drink by sprinkling lime peel over the drink. Garnish with a slice of lime.

3. Spicy Orange Espresso

This hot espresso-based cocktail is perfect for warming you up on cold days. This explosive orange and coffee mix will definitely find many fans.

 

What you need:
1 double shot of espresso
5 oz of fresh orange juice
2 shots of honey syrup
2-star anise
1 cinnamon quill

Add orange juice, honey syrup, and star anise into a pitcher and froth it the same way you steam milk for a cappuccino. Stop steaming when you get enough froth. The mix shouldn’t hotter than 150 F. Pour into a glass cup. Slowly pour in a double shot of espresso. Garnish with a cinnamon quill.

4. Lavender Vanilla Cappuccino

This inventive drink has a lightly sweet and delicious texture of coffee, milk, and lavender mix. It’s a calming drink to relax after a full day.

What you need:
1 tsp of Blue Lavender Blend
1 shot of vanilla syrup
one shot of lavender syrup
one double shot of espresso
3.5 oz of milk of choice
2 sprigs of lavender

Add lavender blend into a cup and pour a tiny amount of hot water to dissolve the blend. Add vanilla and lavender syrup and a shot of espresso into the mix. Stir well. Warm the milk and pour it into the drink, leaving milk froth on top. Garnish with lavender sprigs and sprinkle dried lavender over the drink.

5. Turmeric Almond Latte

This exceptionally healthy drink is great for improving digestion, immune system, and mental abilities. Besides, this golden-red drink looks impressive at any time of the year.

What you need:
½ tsp of turmeric powder
A pinch of black pepper (to make turmeric work!)
½ tsp of ginger powder
1 shot of maple syrup
1 shot of espresso
6.5 oz of milk of choice
Cinnamon
Raspberry powder

Mix turmeric, pepper, ginger, a pinch of cinnamon, and add some hot water. Stir all ingredients together. Brew a shot of espresso and add to the drink. Steam a portion of almond milk and pour it into the mix. Stir the drink to get an even golden color. Garnish with cinnamon and raspberry powder.

Barista Training Evolution

Continuing your personal barista training with experimenting with signature drinks is a natural progression and evolution of your coffee career. To learn more about topics relevant to your barista training, check out our barista training blog.

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