Photo courtesy of Stand Coffee
 

As cold brew coffee continues to surge in popularity, it makes sense that coffee shops and bakeries would try to find new spins on the drink to stand out from the crowd. One particular version that rose to prominence in New York is the coffee lemonade.

According to Eater.com, this summer-themed beverage became a phenomenon when Stand Coffee in Brooklyn began serving an Arnold Palmer iced coffee lemonade and it caught on with customers in the area.

Consisting of lemon and vanilla simple syrup, cold brew coffee, and a splash of almond milk over ice, this drink has taken the coffee world by storm.

From Eater:

“According to Nate Long, the drink's inventor and Stand's coffee director, the Almond Palmer's genesis came from a cross between a college-days habit of mixing coffee and orange juice, and Long's interest in Russian culture, where kofyeh slimonem — coffee with lemon — is a thing.”

The big question, though, is does it actually taste good or is it simply a fad brought on by a different flavor combination? Considering other Brooklyn shops such as Smith Canteen and Supercrown Coffee Roasters have been selling it with great success, it would seem that the new blend is a hit.

Coffee drinkers may be developing  a taste for the natural acidity and adding lemon to the mix is a logical next step for some.

Barista Sam Lewontin of New York City's Everyman Espresso says, “Coffee is chock-full of flavor compounds called Maillard saccharides, which are created when sugars and proteins are heated together. As a category, Maillard saccharides are complex and nutty, and just about everybody loves them — and the best coffees have plenty of intrinsic fruitiness complementing their nuttier and more caramel-like qualities. These fruit flavors are often quite delicate, though; when we make drinks in which coffee is only one of several ingredients, they’re easily overwhelmed. In the right quantity, lemon juice can support those delicious fruit flavors, and balance out all of the sweet, nutty goodness of those Maillard saccharides, leading to a drink that’s refreshing and complex, and reflects the very best of what great coffee can be.”