The Caramel Latte Experiment

Have you ever compared coffee? I’m guessing you have, because why else would you drink the coffee you do?

While my husband, John, and I were on vacation, we took a little sightseeing trip to Gardnerville, Nevada. As we wandered through the downtown district, I spotted a light blue, cinder-block coffeehouse. Something about it made me want to step inside. It looked like one of those old, unique businesses with its own story. The name: Nevada Coffee.

The menu was simple: a few hot and cold flavored coffees, teas, and locally made ice cream. John ordered mint chocolate chip ice cream, and I went with a caramel latte.

The coffee roast was just right, and the caramel was perfectly sweet. I mean real-tasting caramel, the kind that tastes like actual melted caramel instead of something pretending to be caramel.

I knew it wasn’t that imitation-flavored corn syrup you get from a pump bottle because I watched the barista make my drink; they poured in real caramel.

I enjoyed every sip.

With a four-day trip home ahead of us, why not see how other coffee shops make a caramel latte? I love a little research, and this sounded like a delicious way to pass the time. Of course, I didn’t realize how many times I’d be disappointed.

That first latte had set the bar pretty high.

Stop No. 2: Lake Tahoe

Technically, this wasn’t on our trip home yet. We were still sightseeing around Lake Tahoe, and I figured, this is Lake Tahoe! Surely the coffee would be amazing!

I watched the teenage barista behind the counter as she hurriedly added a few squirts of flavored corn syrup and some milk into a paper cup. She seemed stressed, which made me uncomfortable, and the other employees did, too. She handed me my drink, and we headed outside.

One sip was all it took. “Ugh!” I looked at John.

The balance was all wrong. The imitation flavor, the burnt roast, and what I was sure wasn’t steamed milk left a bad taste. And as much as I hate wasting money, I couldn’t drink it.

Stop No. 3: A Cute Little Place in Nevada

The next stop came during our four-day drive home. We pulled into one of Nevada’s small towns and found a coffee shop that looked like an old house someone had converted. It was cute, and I especially liked the galvanized tubs they used for bathroom sinks. Details that make a place memorable.

Two teenage girls stood behind the counter, and since they weren’t particularly busy, they made my latte pretty quickly. Then came the first sip. Again, way too strong. The flavor of imitation caramel syrup and barely any steamed milk made it another bad drink. I choked it down anyway because, well, I had paid for it, and I wasn’t about to throw my money away again.

Stop No. 4: A Pleasant Surprise in Utah

The following morning, we were in Utah and needed a bathroom break. We pulled into a convenience store, and to my surprise, a little coffee shop sat inside.

The barista, a woman who looked to be in her early thirties, was busy stocking packages on the wall when I asked what kind of coffee they served.

“We have three organic roasts available,” she said, then briefly explained where they sourced their coffee. I’m sure it was useful information, but since I wasn’t a local, I let most of it pass right over my head.

I asked about the roast. “It’s a medium.”

Wonderful. We were getting somewhere!

I ordered my latte and took a sip while waiting for John.

And there it was. Harmony.

The coffee, milk, and caramel seemed to get along beautifully. Nothing was fighting for attention, and nothing overpowered anything else. It was just a really good cup of coffee.

I even looked around for the telltale bottles of flavored corn syrup, but I couldn’t spot any. I still don’t know what they used for the caramel, but whatever it was, it worked.

Stop No. 5: The Nearly $10 Breakfast in Colorado

Our next stop was in Gunnison, Colorado, at a busy little coffee shop tucked into an outdoor shopping mall.

John ordered a large chocolate chip cookie, and I ordered a small caramel latte. Together, our breakfast treat came to almost $10.

Now, I don’t mind paying for something good. But I do expect it to be worth the money, and I was about to learn that price doesn’t always equal quality.

I swear, before that latte even reached my hands, a very sweet, strong skunk had swum around in the cup.

Good grief. Not again.

The coffee was dark and strong, the caramel was far too sweet, and there wasn’t nearly enough steamed milk to balance it all out.

I took another sip, hoping I was wrong.

I wasn’t.

Let’s just say I will be skipping that local coffee shop next time through.

The Final Stop: New Mexico

By our last day of travel, we were passing through New Mexico. I’ll admit, I almost skipped this final stop because New Mexico’s flavors aren’t usually my favorite. But I’d come this far, and I couldn’t end my experiment without one last comparison.

I walked into a little coffee shop that felt rather bare and uninviting. The menu was another story altogether. It was packed with everything imaginable: hot and cold coffees, smoothies, teas, and flavored drinks galore. It seemed like they were trying to please everyone with every drink imaginable.

I approached the petite girl behind the counter and asked what kind of roast they used.

Blank stare.

I tried again. “Is it a light, medium, or dark roast?”

Another blank stare, followed by an “I don’t know.”

Well, then, okay.

I glanced around and noticed the familiar clear bottles of flavored syrups lined up behind the counter. I briefly considered walking out without ordering, but by this point, I felt bad for putting the poor girl on the spot. So I ordered my caramel latte.

One sip told me everything I needed to know.

It was practically a twin of the Gunnison latte: dark, overly sweet, and missing that lovely balance of coffee and milk I had been searching for.

I drank it anyway. We still had a few hours of driving ahead of us, and, as you might have guessed by now, I wasn’t wasting my money.

By the end of the trip, I had tasted enough caramel lattes to last me the rest of the year.

So, What Did I Learn?

First, I learned that I might be a little more particular about coffee than the average person. I like what I like, and apparently, expect my coffee to measure up.

But I also learned that a good cup of coffee isn’t necessarily about fancy menus, trendy locations, or how much you pay. It’s about getting the little things right. The roast matters. The balance of coffee and milk matters. And whatever flavoring you use should complement the coffee, not drown it out.

I should add that cleanliness matters to me, too. Thankfully, every establishment we visited was clean and well-kept, so I had no complaints there.

And as for my favorite? Well, I think you already know.

Nevada Coffee in Gardnerville, Nevada, won my heart with that first caramel latte. They didn’t need an overwhelming menu or a dozen different drink options. They simply made a really good cup of coffee, and that was enough.

I wish more coffee shops would adopt that philosophy: If you’re going to charge people for a special cup of coffee, make it worth every penny.

Since this little experiment, we have made our way back to Gardenerville’s little blue coffee shop and, as before, had a perfect cup of coffee. It’s a real coffee shop. Not just an establishment serving coffee. Once you’ve tasted a really good caramel latte, you know what you’ve been missing.

Much love,

Sharon