FEATURE NEWS Decoding the Flat White The flat white has remained a standard Australian coffee for years. But just how relevant is it on today’s coffee menu? BeanScene explores whether changing menu descriptions could lead to the drink’s demise. hen mobile coffee from customers of the older generation. Jeff says he persevered in making van owner Chris Customers will say ‘I’ll have my coffee cappuccinos, until one day he got fed up. Brady attended a just like I have it at home please – flat “Making cappuccinos each day became suburban football white of course.’ But when I work in the a hassle and we were annoyed at the match in Victoria’s city, the orders are mostly lattes.” number of customers measuring the level Wouter suburbs, an older gentleman asked The origin of the flat white is of foam on each cup of coffee. So we him for ‘a coffee’. Chris ran the customer widely discussed and remains largely decided to make our own version of a through a long list of coffee preferences, inconclusive. Jeff Kennedy from Acme drink that we called a flat white: a double styles and prices: latte, cappuccino, flat & Co in Wellington, New Zealand says shot in a Duralex glass with a balance of white, espresso, ristretto, short black, long he was working at Caffe L’affare 25 years creamy milk with no foam,” he says. “It black. ago when the drink was first introduced to was easy for us to make and the drink “He then said to me, ‘son, I remember the shop. became very popular.” when the only decision you had to make “Back then there were a number From 1990 onwards Jeff served his was whether to have coffee with or of pioneers starting the coffee industry version of the flat white and converted without milk. But, I’ll have a flat white in New Zealand, like John Burton and his cappuccino customers into flat thanks,’” says Chris of Rush Mobile Café. Michael Allpress. Up until then big coffee white drinkers. Chris says this man’s coffee preference chain companies were the only main “Australians may claim to have is a common order. “People still find flat players, and the cappuccino was popular invented the flat white, but I can say New whites a simple, assuming, easy to go everywhere you went,” say Jeff. “Our Zealand invented the flat white for sure, drink,” he says. “Working in a mobile unit, business thrived on serving it. But, we just like the pavlova,” he laughs. “But it’s it’s been interesting to see predominant had a tough job convincing people that important to remember that the history coffee preferences in different areas and the temperature of a coffee should be a of [New Zealand’s] coffee culture is rather demographics of Victoria. Even with the particular way, and that coffee should be new and completely different to Australia. growth of our industry I find flat whites presented in a certain way. There was lots Our coffee preferences didn’t come from or white coffees are still a popular order of animosity from customers if the coffee an immigrant point of view, ours have in traditional working class areas, and wasn’t scalding, and full of sugar.” has developed out of craft, passion and 52 beanscenemag.com.au Bluestone Lane in the United States says Americans love the slightly stronger taste of a flat white more than a typical latte. dedication.” On a daily take of the coffee offerings “WE’RE TRYING at Prefab, the flagship café for Jeff’s company Acme & Co, he says 80 per cent TO EDUCATE of coffee orders are flat white, 5 per cent are cappuccinos and the remainder a split OUR CUSTOMERS between short black and lattes. “Those figures are not just a representation of THAT A COFFEE IS our customer preferences, it’s the same DEFINED BY THE all over New Zealand, flat whites are dominant,” he says. RATIO OF COFFEE Espressology’s Instaurator says the flat white is an inbred part of Australia’s TO MILK, AND ANZAC history. “In the mid-1990s people who drank flat whites were NOT BY THE LEVEL considered instant coffee drinkers. They would boil their water to 100°C, add a OF FOAM THAT bit to the cup with their instant coffee SITS ON TOP.” flat white is essentially] a strong latte with granules, and finish with a touch of milk. less foam – you’ve got to make it easy That was a flat white. That’s how people over here in the US, where the majority of drank their coffee after the war until they based favourites including piccolo latte, espresso based drinkers are familiar with were introduced to espresso. Even then, long black and cold brew. But Owner the Starbucks menu.” people would still say, ‘I want my coffee Nicholas Stone who is originally from Even with the rise of third-wave white and flat, with not one bit of foam.’ Melbourne, says the flat white had to be brewing methods emerging in US coffee It’s only as we’ve become introduced on the menu from the start. shops, Nicolas says the flat white will to other coffee varieties through social “[It’s] a key part of the menu as it’s remain a permanent item on his menu. education that our preferences have such an authentic coffee beverage for “People have always had milk with tea changed. But the flat white remains a part those from Australia and New Zealand,” and coffee and I don’t see [that] the pour- of our coffee culture.” he says. “The Americans absolutely love over popularity means that the demand Regardless of who invented the it. It’s in the top three most popular coffee for flat whites is going to come to an end flat white, it’s thanks to the spread of drinks ordered, which includes both drip any time soon,” he says. Australians and New Zealanders travelling coffee and espresso coffee beverages. When Beanscene posed the question of around the world that the drink is now The Americans love that it has a slightly relevance of the flat white to the modern part of café menus in London and the stronger taste than a typical latte. It has coffee shop menu on its Facebook page, United States. enough bold flavour and sweetness to people responded in an overwhelming One such café is Bluestone Lane in keep people hooked.” way. Many café owners said it was their the US, which operates three stores in Bluestone Lane presents their flat white most popular coffee order, and a great Manhattan, New York. Visitors to the in a six-ounce ceramic cup. “[It’s] the only way to practise latte art. Many comments Manhattan shops will find all the espresso- way you should,” Nicholas says. “[The debated the way a flat white should be beanscenemag.com.au 53 FEATURE NEWS presented; the level of foam and cup size, and flat whites in six ounce and 12-ounce “We only serve what we’re 100 per cent while others simply wouldn’t hear of the cups. We’ve found that the standard eight- happy with, and if that means losing the iconic drink being replaced. “It definitely ounce cup measures more to a 10-ounce latte and serving a flat white with the right has its place,” said one post. “Australia cup which contains roughly 300 millilitres milk to coffee ratio, then we will.” isn’t ready for [the flat white] to be taken in a cup. But if the cup measured about Paul says continual experimentation off the menu yet,” said another. 180 millilitres we find the milk to coffee can only lead to a better overall result. Coffex Coffee Roasters Managing ratio gives a much better, sweeter coffee “We need to be challenging the best ways Director Fong Loong agrees with the experience. We’re battling hard to get the of serving coffee. Just the other day we majority. “The flat white is a domestic cup sizes true to what we believe produces discovered that serving an espresso in a drink that’s long been an iconic Australian the best outcome, so a person who orders slightly bigger cup than normal gave it favourite,” he says. “People order drinks a take away or sits down for the coffee will a completely different taste profile. The according to what they’re used to and get the same experience,” says Paul. smallest variance can completely change what they like. Even though the younger To counteract wrong milk to coffee the flavour profile of a coffee,” says Paul. To avoid any menu confusion between the varied milk drinks, Pablo and Rusty’s in New South Wales has gone one step “THE FLAT WHITE IS A DOMESTIC DRINK further. “We describe our coffees as black THAT’S LONG BEEN AN ICONIC AUSTRALIAN coffee and white coffee, but still provide particular drinks as they are requested. FAVOURITE.” We steam all milk coffees the same, so there’s no variation to the foam produced. We produce all our milk coffees with generation is experimenting more with ratios, The Cupping Room has decided about .5 to 1 centimetre foam. We only alternate brewing methods, which I find to focus on serving cappuccinos and flat differentiate by strength if people ask, very refreshing, traditional coffees such as whites for their milk-based offerings, otherwise a white coffee is served in a the flat white are still largely dominant,” removing lattes altogether. six-ounce cup, dine in or take away,” says he says.