We know people will get the drink iced and we think they’ll enjoy something fruity and in-season for summer.” That’s why it’s meant to be a summer drink. We tried it hot and it’s definitely good, but it’s that much better as an iced latte. “If you think about steaming fresh fruit, that can be a little bit weird. KRISP will make the Strawberry Cream Latte hot if requested, but they recommend it iced. If it’s too tart, the milk is going to curdle.” Depending on the season, strawberries can be more tart or they can be sweeter, so we have to think about balancing that flavor with the notes of the espresso. “That also gives a creaminess to the drink. “There’s a little bit of white chocolate to cut back on the tartness of the strawberries,” says Lee.

The team decided to add white chocolate to the drink for both its flavor and texture. “Strawberry and espresso are not a typical flavor combination, unless you’re doing a strawberry Frappuccino, which this is not. “This drink is harder to make,” says Lee. This latte is flavored with actual strawberries, which makes the recipe development far more complicated. “So we had to think about balancing the flavors together.” “Our strawberry matcha is really popular, so someone said ‘What if we make a strawberry drink with our espresso? What can we do to make that work?’” recalls Lee. This summer’s flavors are the result of that group effort. Each flavor idea is discussed as a group and recipe testing is part of the job. In order to live up to this scrutiny, it’s all hands on deck at KRISP where a collaborative process is used to create new drink recipes. We are a third wave coffee shop so there’s a lot more attention to detail.” “Third wave coffee is what we’re experiencing right now,” says Lee. So what exactly came before this 'third wave”? Lee explains. “They’re paying attention to the quality of the espresso beans and how the drink is being crafted.” “With the third wave of coffee now and the fourth wave coming up, people are paying a lot of attention to coffee,” explains Lee.

Lee explains that KRIPS’S obsessive attention to detail is a result of today’s coffee culture. Those were heavier so we wanted to bring something lighter and more refreshing for summertime.” “Coming off winter, we came up with a black sesame latte and a sweet potato latte. “Every single season we have new creations,” says Lee. We met with KRISP manager Janice Lee for the best time ever: tasting and discussing fully caffeinated summer-inspired beverages available right now. Situated at the edge of the Trade Marketplace on Michaelson Drive, KRISP indulged The Vine in discussing how they come up with new drinks and what inspired the current slate of craft beverages. KRISP Fresh Living, on the other hand, is reinventing the wheel with their original and absolutely delicious coffee concoctions. But a lot of coffee shops serve the same predictable assortment of espresso-based drinks. And thank goodness, because Irvinites love their coffee (and tea!).

Krisp cuts