There's no denying that the craft coffee trend is on the rise. Similar to craft cocktails and beer, consumers today are embracing unique and flavor-forward coffee beverages that offer them a truly artisanal experience. Thanks to its functional benefits and wide varietal offerings, honey is an ideal ingredient for the emerging category.
Honey is known to bring balance and enhance other ingredients in recipes, and coffee is no different. For those who find traditional black coffee bitter, honey masks those notes while adding a unique flavor.
It is also easy to change up coffee's flavor by introducing honey varietals. Because of their varying flavor profiles, honey varietals offer coffee drinkers new and exciting ways to experience the subtle nuances that honey brings to coffee, all while adding complexity and flavor.
Today specialty coffee drinkers see coffee more as a treat and are looking for more of a flavor experience from hot and cold beverages. With this in mind, the National Honey Board (NHB) participated in an immersive, multi-day coffee innovation and recipe creation session to examine the specialty coffee category, its audience, and opportunities for honey within it. Armed with research and insights from leading bartenders, baristas, and NHB stakeholders, the NHB emerged with just under a dozen on-trend recipes designed to highlight honey and inspire everyone from professional baristas to the home coffee brewer.
But we want to hear from you! What is your favorite way to pair honey and coffee? Or, which of these new coffee recipes are you excited to try at home? Let us know in the comments below.