You may already be familiar with the internet’s favourite caffeinated beverage, the Raspberry Danish Latte, but do you know it was a Minnesota coffee shop that started the trend?
The so-called ‘It’ coffee of the moment was originally designed by a beloved small business in Northfield, Minnesota, known as Little Joy Coffee.
The company is famed on social media for its ‘DIY or Buy’ series, which sees Serena Walker, Little Joy Coffee’s manager and the face of its TikTok account, providing step-by-step instructions on how to recreate menu items.
Some recent viral recipes include: matchas with dark and stormy and ginger beer twists, a creamy sweet potato latte, and apparently ‘the stickiest sticky toffee pudding latte’ found outside of England.
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Last month, the account went viral after Walker showed fans how to make an iced Raspberry Danish Latte from scratch for $2.46. The price excluded labour costs, energy bills, and any necessary equipment.
The coffee, which sells for $8 at Little Joy Coffee, features homemade raspberry syrup, an indulgent vanilla cream cheese foam, a double shot of espresso and a fresh raspberry to finish.
A step-by-step Instagram post documented how Little Joy Coffee made the syrup and cream cheese foam alongside the build - and it’s currently at two million views and counting.
Since posting the recipe on 13 March, it’s been reported that more than 400 coffee shops have recreated the velvety drink, with many putting their own spin on the iced refreshment.
TODAY.com said that it's even gone international, with stores in Canada, Britain, Korea, Malaysia and New Zealand all selling the item.
Cody Larson, owner of Little Joy Coffee, has said that he was pleased that other stores had begun selling the Raspberry Danish Latte, claiming it represents the brand’s ethos.
“It fits with our belief that if all independent shops do better, we all do better.”
In an interview with The Guardian, Larson explained: “It doesn’t hurt us any if a coffee shop in California has the same drink as us. We’re not worried about that.”
He continued: “In a world where chain coffee shops dominate the market with ingredients that come from a bottle or a box, making things the hard way from scratch is how independent shops, together, can raise the bar and take back some of that market.”
Hannah Doughty, owner of Freddie Clere Coffee and Bagels in New Zealand, told the publication that its ‘pretty special’ to be able to hand out a famous US drink like the Rapsberry Danish Latte to her customers.
“It’s pretty special that we’re able to bring the viral latte from the other side of the world to our little small town coffee shop,” she claimed. “Coffee connects people and the Little Joy latte definitely has shown that.”
Despite believing that nobody should drive more than 40 minutes to grab a coffee from his business, Larson admitted he’d served people who had travelled hours for a drink before.
“Sometimes, I’ll check the Instagram… and see that somebody tagged us in a story, and they’re like, I drove two hours to be here, and I’m like, Oh my gosh, I served them. That’s so scary. It’s a lot of pressure,” he lamented.
If you want to recreate the Raspberry Danish Latte from the comfort of your own home, you can check out the full Little Joy Coffee recipe here.
Topics: US Food, Drinks, Social Media
Ella Scott