MILAN – In Japan, coffee continues to reinvent itself: following the success of speciality coffees, manual brewing methods and coffee served over ice, the latest novelty comes from Yokohama, where a café is serving an iced caffè latte at -85 °C, transforming a simple coffee break into a sensory experience destined to go viral on social media. The star of the show is Kopi Luwak Coffee, a café located near Yokohama’s Chinatown, which in recent months has become a hotspot for coffee enthusiasts and content creators thanks to its ‘Ultra Cold’ range of drinks, including the famous -85 °C Café Latte.
Colder than ice
The figure ‘-85 °C’ does not refer to the temperature of the liquid – which would be physically impossible to drink – but rather to that of the glass, which is cooled using cryogenic technology before serving.
When the milk is poured into the glass, the outside is immediately covered in a thick layer of frost, whilst the contents rapidly reach an extremely low temperature without the use of ice cubes. The result is a iced latte drink that stays cold right down to the last sip without becoming watered down.
A surprise finish
The most intriguing effect comes with the final sips.
Thanks to the temperature of the glass, the remaining milk gradually takes on a granita-like consistency, offering a dual tasting experience: first liquid, then almost creamy and icy. According to those who have tried it, the coffee retains a mild bitterness and a particularly smooth texture.
The value of the experience
From a technical point of view, the coffee extraction method remains the same, but the way it is perceived by the consumer changes completely.
The idea fits perfectly into Japan’s ‘experience food’ culture, where the value of the product lies not only in its taste but also in its visual appeal, the technology used and the opportunity to share the moment on social media.
Videos and photographs of the glass completely covered in ice have, in fact, contributed to the rapid spread of this new trend online.
Japan has been experimenting for years
This is not the first time the Asian country has come up with unusual ways of drinking coffee.
Over the years, coffees prepared using the principle of supercooling have appeared, served at sub-zero temperatures without freezing the liquid, which crystallises only when poured into the glass. Other Japanese coffee shops, meanwhile, have focused on cold brews, using blocks of ice as containers or refrigeration systems designed to preserve the drink’s aroma and sweetness.
The post Coffee at -85 °C in Japan, the iced latte taking Yokohama by storm: Is it really such an extreme drink? appeared first on Comunicaffe International.
