Philip Ashby
The White Cloud from Cool Beans
Coffee comes in many colors, if by “many” you mean varying shades of brown. But white coffee? When I saw “white coffee” on the menu of Cool Beans Coffee Cafe, 1748 Eagan Rd., near East Towne, I was naturally curious.
Cool Beans’ owner, Lisa Stearns, describes white coffee as “coffee beans that have been very lightly roasted.” These beans stay closer to their original greenish-gray color, which results in a sandy-colored brew with a notably nutty flavor.
One of Cool Beans’ signature drinks, the White Cloud, is a sweet concoction built upon a base of these beans, supplied by Fitchburg’s True Coffee Roasters. Stearns’ customers love it for its elevated caffeine content and its sweetness. “It’s the perfect drink for those who want an espresso bar drink, but don’t really like the flavor of coffee,” says Stearns.
The White Cloud is a latte, flavored with white chocolate and macadamia nut syrups to complement the white coffee’s natural flavor. A dash of cinnamon makes this drink taste even more like a hot version of horchata.
