By Maura Stevens
Whether your morning beverage choice is a cup of instant coffee or your more of a fancy nitro brew coffee aficionado – the coffee world is constantly changing. There are endless options for the coffee lovers and seemingly new options popping up all the time. Maura Stevens takes a look at some of the hottest trends in the coffee industry for 2021 and spotlights some of our favorite local coffee spots.
Nitro Brew
One of the hottest trends is a Nitro Brew. The beverage uses a process previously used by beer home-brewers, infusing nitrogen gas into the coffee through a pressurized valve. The process starts with a coffee that been steeped in cold or lukewarm water for anywhere between 12 and 24 hours. The pressurized valve infuses the coffee with nitrogen gas adding small bubble to improve the coffee’s flavor and texture. The end result is a coffee that has a velvety texture and lower acidity, making it easy to drink black, even for cream lovers.
Matcha Lattes
Another popular trend is Matcha lattes. An alternative to a coffee based latte, Matcha lattes combine green tea powder, water, and milk. Matcha has been around for thousands of years – but using it for a latter is a recent trend. Sophisticated coffee consumers tend to lean towards a health conscious mindset and folks are lining up to order Matcha lattes due to the potential health benefits Matcha provides.
Plant Based Non-Dairy Milks
For the coffee lover who may be lactose intolerant or vegan – most coffee shops are now offering a variety of non-dairy options. These include almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, oat milk and macadamia nut milk. These have become so popular that Starbuck famously had a nationwide shortage of oat milk this spring causing them to temporarily remove those item from their menu.
High quality instant coffees
One of 2020’s big trends which gained popularity via Tik Tok is Dalgona coffee. Dalgona coffee whips instant coffee with sugar and water to create a thick coffee foam. This grew in popularity during the pandemic because coffee lovers could make it at home and that is also how it got the nickname “quarantine coffee.” Want to try it at home? Click here for an easy recipe
Coffee Subscriptions
Sophisticated coffee lovers faced a conundrum during the pandemic. Where the norm was to stop at a favorite coffee spot on the way to work – that changed during the pandemic. With so many folks now working from home – coffee lovers had to make the adjustment to making their coffee at home. This has been made exponentially easier with the increase in popularity of coffee subscriptions. The idea behind the coffee subscription is that you can order high quality coffee beans with your choice of brew method and taste preferences from the source and have it shipped directly to your home. And you can determine the frequency of the deliveries.
Now that you know about the newest coffee trends – make a visit to some of our favorite local coffee spots to try them out.
DeClieu Coffee
10389 Main St B, Fairfax, VA 22030
DE CLIEU is a specialty coffee and sandwich shop located in historic Old Town Fairfax. This small, local coffee shop on the corner of University and Main offers a large variety of specialty coffee drinks. They also offer a large menu of breakfast sandwiches (served all day), lunch sandwiches and even Belgian waffles. You will find Mason students studying at one of the many tables or friends grabbing lunch. De Clieu partners with Intelligentsia Roasters to bring high quality beans from around the world
Gathering Grounds
10637 Braddock Rd, Fairfax, VA 22032
This is a cute, local coffee shop located in University Mall. They offer a variety of coffee items on their menu as well as breakfast sandwiches (served all day), lunch sandwiches and assorted pastries. Make sure to try their Croffle – a croissant waffle with Matcha whip and vanilla ice cream
29th Parallel
5616-H Ox Road, Fairfax Station, Virginia 22039
This small, local hand crafted coffee shop is located in Fairfax Station Square. It is popular with locals and has a highly established loyal following of regulars. The menu includes a variety of coffee drinks including a Cortado – which you don’t see on many coffee shop menus. The owner can often be found behind the counter educating customers interested in learning about the coffee process. You can take home a bag of their fresh roast coffee which is carefully selected by the owner.
Take home a bag of their fresh roast coffee which is carefully selected by the owner.
Foundations Coffee Roasters
9650 Main St. #46 Fairfax, VA 22031
Another great local coffee shop can be found on the back side or dock side of Fair City Mall. The coffee shop has a warehouse feel. They offer a variety of coffee drinks and pastries. The roaster is visible through glass walls to guests seated at tables. Foundation roasts in small batches using beans from Ethiopia, Guatemala, Colombia, Brazil and Tanzania, among others, for its blends. The roaster serves, drip, cold brew, espresso, cappuccino and others on site.
