‘Just Ask’ Episode 2: What is a Café Au Lait?
In this episode of ‘Just Ask,’ we’re shining the spotlight on the café au lait, a sneaky little menu item often masquerading as a latte. Though similar in makeup and flavor profile, the café au lait is actually fundamentally different than its espresso and steamed milk counterpart.
Café au lait is French for “coffee with milk.” But don’t let the translation fool you. This signature menu item isn’t your typical morning coffee fix of house roast and cold milk (or whatever milk alternative gets you going). In short: a café au lait is a brewed coffee version of a traditional café latte. The difference? Simply replace the espresso with brewed coffee and you’ve got yourself a café au lait. This gives you the flexibility to choose any coffee of the day with which to add steamed milk (instead of cold milk) to preserve temperature and add texture. You can add warm, velvety milk to signature HYB blends like Coffee Cake, Jazzy Java and Almond Biscotti - yum!
To see how this unique beverage is made at HYB, check out our video below.
Next time you pop in for your favorite HYB blend, order it with steamed milk by requesting a café au lait! Have a question for us? Just ask.