Sweet & Social: Cold Coffee Takes Over

Iced coffee drinks edge out hot brewed coffee as favorites among Gen Z consumers, according to Datassential. That confirms the experience of coffee-shop operators who have watched sales of cold coffee eclipse hot-brewed options for years now.

But the crowded iced coffee category demands constant innovation. When opening Tous les Jours’ flagship location in Cerritos, Calif., Alex Hager wanted a cold coffee signature for the coffee menu. Originally, she considered featuring an espresso tonic, favoring the floral and fruity notes extracted from single-origin, lighter roasts. Hager opted for iced coffee instead, choosing it over single-origin espresso because of supply issues. But she still wanted to achieve those desired flavor tones in the tonic. “I played with the idea of creating a mocktail concept that used peach syrup to balance the bitterness of the tonic and coffee, and give the beverage that fruity and floral note,” she says. The resulting Cold Brew Tonic is finished with a lemon and mint garnish. After earning wild success at the Cerritos flagship, the drink now appears on franchisee menus nationwide.

Gen Z consumers are avid fans of globally themed cold coffee drinks, finding craveable combinations from hotspots like Southeast Asia, Mexico and Japan. Vietnamese-style iced coffees are pitch perfect for younger demographics, with strong-brewed coffee, sweetened condensed milk and fun additions like ube syrup, cardamom or sesame. Tierra Mia Coffee Company, based in Los Angeles, is a coffee shop that features Mexican-style coffee and tea drinks. The ice-blended Mazapan Peanut Cream stars the popular Mexican peanut candy. It’s sweet, thick and creamy, and although new to many consumers, sits right in Gen Z’s sweet spot.