Lovebird Coffee announced the release of spring drinks: Tiramisu Cold Brew, Greena Colada and Pistachio Rose Latte. We went to Lovebird Coffee and tried them all, so you know what to get next time you find yourself craving a fun and flavorful drink. The new Behavior and Social Sciences building, with new building smell and all, was our location where we enjoyed these drinks, sitting on one of the nearby booths. We went and bought our drinks and brought them to our table, following their creation. Our interview was done early in the day so most of the customers were staff and faculty members, most of whom reside in the buildings. Music was being played from the Lovebird store, and could be heard from our booth.
The inception of these drinks came from the mind of Kennedy Johnston, director of food and culinary services, known as “Chef” to many of the customers and Lovebird staff alike. Johnston said that she found inspiration for this spring’s menu by being online too much.
“I take inspiration from a lot of other people,” she said. “I think that is common in food, and you put your own personal twist in food.”
She expressed that there is something she loves about all of the drinks on the menu – the Greena Colada being her favorite name, the Pistachio Rose latte being the easiest to bring back to the menu and her favorite personal taste Tiramisu Cold Brew.
We rated these drinks based on price, visual aesthetics, taste and if it reminds us of spring. Each reporter also has a special, “take it home award” for the drink we liked the best and “took home” with us after the taste test. No food or drink was wasted during this taste-test.
All quoted descriptions come from a menu provided to us by Lovebird Coffee.
Greena Colada: “Floral jasmine green tea with pineapple tangos topped with rich coconut milk for a tropical getaway for a fraction of the cost.”
Rating: 9.5/10
Brynna: Personally, as a non-coffee drinker I was excited for this one, and based on looks it really caught my eye. It was super refreshing and easy to drink. I would best describe its taste similarly to shaved ice with a scoop of ice cream in the middle and I think it would be excellent if blended. I thought the coconut cream would overpower the drink, but it was actually the perfect addition. It mixed well, while not affecting the overall consistency or texture of the drink. This would make a great drink for a hot day and I think Lovebird should keep this drink around … at least through summer.
Damon: I loved this drink so much! It initially smelled like a really good car air freshener, but the delicate taste is a light and simple taste to the tongue! The coconut milk doesn’t create a thickness, which adds to the overall refreshing nature of the drink. The pineapple is subtle, yet present, which is to be enjoyed by any non-citrus enthusiasts. This thin and melodic drink is the perfect blend of tropic sensation. All hail the Greena Colada! This drink gets my Take it Home award.
Pistachio Rose Latte: “Savory Pistachio and sweet rose make a delightful and expected duo”
Rating: 8/10
Brynna: I was initially scared of this one, and let me reiterate, I am not a coffee drinker. However, I was pleasantly surprised. After the first sip I said “this makes me want to drink coffee!” It was very smooth and had a good ratio of coffee and creamer. I struggled to taste the rose flavor but thoroughly enjoyed the notes of pistachio. By the end of our taste test this was the one I walked away with. It was the perfect drink for the rainy weather. This drink gets my Take it Home award.
Damon: The smell of the drink really reminded me of pistachio ice cream. The drink was actually a very smooth and forward coffee, meaning there was no bounty of flavor but rather something light and simple. I appreciated the taste, as it wasn’t extremely flagrant. My biggest criticism is that there was no rose present. I am a very big rose flavor advocate, so I was very disappointed. I appreciate that there wasn’t any nutty aftertaste, which is typical with drinks of this nature. I think I would order this again, but it may not be my first choice for drinks.
Tiramisu Cold Brew: “House-made cold brew with a salted vanilla cold foam and a cocoa powder dusting bring you sweet and savory luxury in every sip”
Rating: 7/10
Brynna: This drink was show stopping in the looks department. The cocoa powder dusting on top of the foam made for a very aesthetic drink. However, to me this drink did not take center stage when it came to flavor. I have to acknowledge that we were doing a “lidless” review so when I took my first sip I got pure cocoa powder which doesn’t have the most desirable taste. The bitter powder coated my mouth leaving me a little hesitant to take another sip. After a quick mix of the foam, cocoa powder and cold brew, the taste was pretty good. Definitely not my top pick of the three, but I can see the appeal for those that like a stronger coffee flavor. I think the essence of tiramisu really came through in this drink. Perfect for those looking for a more unique drink.
Damon: Starting off, tiramisu is my favorite dessert, and I had high hopes for this drink. I was extremely pleased with the visual presentation. The cream cascading down amongst the silky cold brew; coated in beautiful cocoa powder. The smell reminded me of tiramisu, which was tantalizing.The initial sip was very textually similar to a tiramisu, with the layers each representing their authentic counterparts of mascarpone, ladyfingers and powder. I think it is hard to label this tiramisu in taste, because of the overpowering cold brew taste. As someone who has made tiramisu a handful of times, the taste component often lands within the mascarpone, however this drink did not follow that and chose to instead focus on the coffee element. I don’t think mixing it helped improve the desired “tiramisu” taste, however it did help the taste of the overall cold brew. I don’t necessarily like the taste of straight cold brew, however when the foam mixed in, the drink was lighter which made it better. I would not recommend this drink to anyone who is not already a fan of cold brew, or unwilling to add an additional flavor to the drink. Overall, the taste wasn’t tiramisu, but the concept and execution was.
Lovebird Coffee is located in the Behavioral and Social Sciences building on campus. They are open Monday throughThursday from 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Damon Gallegos and Brynna Garcia can be reached at orionmanagingeditor@gmail.com.
