Indeed, the concept of a cold, sweetened coffee drink wouldn’t have been a novelty to the Italians and Portuguese; just consider the caffe shakerato of Southern Italy—a refreshing mix of espresso, sugar, ice and sometimes cream, shaken vigorously until smooth and frothy—and mazagran, a popular Portuguese sweetened, iced coffee drink that has roots in Algeria. Who did Howell & Co. hire to supply the coffee syrup? More recently, Massachusetts native chef Matt Jennings wrote that a diet of coffee frappés made from Brigham’s Ice Cream was his “gateway drug” to the adult pleasures of caffeine. “If you lived up north you might drink Eclipse, but on the South Coast it was only Autocrat, all the time.”. Finally, in the early ’40s, the Autocrat company of Lincoln, Rhode Island, joined the fray. Autocrat continued making coffee syrup for Starbucks for years, and the unfathomable success of that product also spurred the company to expand and upgrade their wholesale and commercial coffee syrup business, selling flavorings to companies all around the world that were suddenly eager to cash in on the global iced-coffee boom. Enjoy. Coffee milk is a combination of coffee syrup and milk. First introduced to Rhode Islanders in the early 1920's, coffee milk became so popular it was designated the official state drink of Rhode Island in 1993. Place ground coffee in filter basket of a drip coffeemaker. Autocrat eventually bought Eclipse, and though the company continued to produce the syrup under a separate label, the rivalry was largely diffused. In its early days, Rhode Island coffee syrup might have been a homemade affair, but by the time Leite was being weaned on the stuff, a few enterprising local companies had long since begun marketing commercial versions. Coffee milk is always served at the Rhode Island staple, the Olneyville New York System Restaurant. At the same time, dairies started producing coffee milk in glass bottles, and cartons. But coffee milk’s roots reach even deeper. In her history of Italian-American food, We Called It Macaroni, Nancy Verde Barr describes how Southern Italians had a habit of heavily sweetening their dark brews. Coffee syrup recipe for topping ice cream, making milkshakes, or making the classic Rhode Island drink, Coffee Milk. However, wander far from Rhode Island and it seems customers prefer the more traditional chocolate milk. “So it was important to us to make something we’d want our family to drink.” They were also the first local makers to introduce a decaf coffee syrup. While a few other beverages have also achieved a high level of fame in the Ocean State (namely Del’s Lemonade and Narragansett beer) coffee milk earned the official top spot in 1993 thanks to its “uniquely Rhode Island” reputation. It is made by combining coffee syrup with milk. Her work appears regularly in The Wall Street Journal’s Off Duty section and has been featured in publications including Saveur, Vogue, Cooking Light, Real Simple, Every Day with Rachael Ray, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and Businessweek. Rhode Island’s official state drink is coffee milk—in most places, kids grow up drinking chocolate milk but not here. Coffee milk is thought to have originated from Italian immigrants who came to the US East Coast and who often made bitter coffee which they heavily sweetened. Recipe by Laury. “While she drank her coffee she would pour me a cupful of milk spiked with this sweet jet-fuel syrup. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Coffee milk is made from coffee syrup, and for as long as any Rhode Islander can remember, Autocrat brand has been the only option. Refrigerate until cold or up to 2 weeks. It’s a staple in Rhode Island kitchens, but travel a short distance from the tiny state, and it is completely unheard of. Most popular historians posit that it was the intersection of the immigrants’ taste for strong, bitter coffee and the virtue of thrift embraced by both the newcomers and the old Yankee community that gave rise to a local habit of making concentrated syrup from leftover brews that would otherwise go to waste. Coffee milk is a combination of coffee syrup and milk. Mix together. Popular since at least the 1930s, the drink remains a fixture at kitchen tables and diner counters across Little Rhody and along the state’s borders on the south coast of Massachusetts and the Connecticut shore, not merely as a nod to nostalgia, but a living piece of the homegrown food culture. Dave’s Coffee, also a Rhode Island company, is a newer player in the market with a lot of local fan fare. Key to the Sylvia’s vision was crafting the coffee syrup in as pure a manner as possible: Unlike the Autocrat of today, Morning Glory contains no additives or high-fructose corn syrup. This Certified course will have you traveling through the old SeaBees Naval … As time passed, it became less coffee with milk and sugar and more milk and sugar with a dash of coffee. Some restaurants serve coffee milk on tap, and coffee syrup can be bought at some stores in order to make the drink at home. Though Lanning’s syrup was initially stocked only at Dave’s Coffee outlets, the dark, rich taste—not to mention the stylish amber glass bottles in which it was packed—generated immediate buzz. And the rest, as they say, is history. All State Foods & Drinks. Combine brewed coffee and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan; simmer until reduced by half, about 30 minutes. People living near Providence, Rhode Island, and Dracut, Massachusetts can buy farm fresh coffee milk at the following dairies: Shaw Farm Dairy home milk delivery Dracut, MA, AB Munroe Dairy Inc. home milk delivery in Providence, RI. Its exact origins aren’t clear, but by the 1920s and 1930s it was a staple of the New England diner scene. Add 2 cups cold water to water reservoir and brew according to manufacturer’s directions. However, if you want a farm fresh option, many local dairies offer coffee milk in glass bottles, and even home delivery. In North Stonington, just a stone’s throw from the Rhode Island border, farmer Brianne Casadei combines Dave’s coffee syrup with milk from her pasture-raised herd of Jersey cows to make bottles of Grade A cream line Terra Firma Farm Coffee Milk, which she sells at her farm’s dairy as well as local markets. That concoction, by the way, is known as a “coffee milk” and in 1993 was officially decreed Rhode Island’s official state beverage, narrowly edging out another Ocean-State original, Del’s Frozen Lemonade. The Brook’s Herbal even contains a recipe for coffee syrup, made by infusing a pound of coffee in two pints of water—hello, cold-brew concentrate!—then adding sugar and simmering for eight hours before straining, cooling and bottling. I love Oat Coffee Milk in the morning with breakfast for … Now, Dave’s coffee syrup has a thriving wholesale presence, primarily within New England—but also in a few high-design locations beyond, like Magnolia Market, the Waco, Texas–based shop owned by lifestyle moguls Chip and Joanna Gaines, as well as select Whole Foods. Finally, in 2014, after four generations as a family-owned and operated business, Autocrat itself was purchased by Finlays, a sprawling British tea conglomerate that consolidated the syrup and extract business even further. International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers, The Cook’s Dictionary and Housekeeper’s Dictionary, according to a 2012 profile in Boston Magazine, Coffee Milk: A Living Piece of Rhode Island Drink Culture, America Embraces Bittersweet Italian Sodas. Coffee milk is a popular beverage in Rhode Island and the immediate surrounding area. “Obviously, the country loves coffee, and it’s not a big leap from a ‘regular’ cup of Dunkin’ Donuts to a coffee milk,” David explains. For many, Rhode Islanders coffee milk tastes like home, and they crave it long after moving out of the state. That concoction, by the way, is known as a “coffee milk” and in 1993 was officially decreed Rhode Island’s official state beverage, narrowly edging out another Ocean-State original, Del’s Frozen Lemonade. Sweet coffee milk could also have been a handy way to smuggle milk into the bellies of children. While Autocrat is clearly the most recognizable brand, it isn’t the only syrup in town. In 1994, Starbucks acquired all of the Coffee Connection cafés—plus the rights and recipe for the Frappuccino—for the tidy sum of $23 million. There are reports of Rhode Island shop owners throwing out chocolate milk, because it just cannot compete with the demand for coffee milk. Where else are “murder burgers,” “awful awfuls” and “doughboys” part of the local lexicon? You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. With cheeky cartoon ads and eye-catching red and yellow bottles adorned with the cheerful image of a chirping bird, Autocrat soon dominated the scene. Nutrition Facts 1 cup prepared coffee milk prepared with 4 tablespoons syrup: 324 calories, 5g fat (3g saturated fat), 20mg cholesterol, 122mg sodium, 63g carbohydrate (62g sugars, 0 fiber), 8g protein. First, what it’s not: Don’t confuse coffee milk with a coffee milkshake. As pure and basic as you can get...Fill a glass with ice cold whole milk. That coffee milk is, of course, a part of that place shows itself in little ways: The rotating dessert menu sometimes includes a special option—like cheesecake with coffee milk syrup—that nods to the official Ocean State drink, and diners sitting at the chef’s counter are presented with a small shot of coffee milk with their checks. But coffee milk is the state drink of Rhode Island (since 1993), so you shouldn’t leave the state without trying it. It comes from the book "I'll Have What They're Having- Legendary Local Cuisine" page 206. FOR THE CRUST: 1¾ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 11-12 chocolate graham cracker sheets) 2 tablespoons brown sugar. To prepare coffee milk: In a tall glass, mix 1 cup milk and 2-4 tablespoons coffee milk syrup. Apparently the brew was regarded as a “very fine breakfast,” especially for those disposed toward afflictions of the lungs. A sweeter alternative to traditional milk with a hint of coffee taste, it’s a hit with Rhode Islanders. By the Civil War, a taste for the stuff had crossed the pond: Godey’s Lady’s Book published a recipe for coffee syrup that was advertised as a perfect (and conveniently portable) pick-me-up for weary troops. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 1/8 teaspoon salt. “My family lived in a triplex house with my grandparents and godparents and cousins, and every time I’d go in to visit my godmother, she’d always have a Viceroy cigarette hanging out of her mouth and a coffee cup in her hand—always!” he says with a laugh. Why does coffee milk matter? Why do you need an awesome coffee milk it ’ s directions farm option! Just does not have the option to opt-out of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience ’. Let you to make coffee milk flies off the shelves in the nation many local dairies offer milk. Drink, but by the rest of the Northeast drink of Rhode coffee... 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