Cold brews and matcha lattes with airy, dessert-like layers are everywhere. What’s driving the trend for blockbuster toppings?
Coffee brimming with lemon myrtle cream. Matcha banked with strawberry-lychee foam. Cold brew with choc-orange froth thick enough to stuff a pillow. Every caffeinated drink I’ve ordered in Sydney recently has the appearance of a generously frosted cake.
It’s a trend you’ll see – or sip – across Australia, from Toasted Carine’s iced latte with maple cold foam in Perth to Le Bajo’s chilled oolong tea with raspberry cream in Melbourne. They’re not the usual wisps of steam-wand aerated milk that crown cappuccinos and flat whites. These blockbuster toppings look as if they’ll capsize your drink.