What is Flat Red Coffee? What's the Difference Between Flat Red and Flat White Coffee?

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Most of us are familiar with Flat White coffee, but have you ever heard of Flat Red coffee? (This is my first time hearing about it too.)

Recently, while scrolling through videos, I noticed many international coffee bloggers are making a red coffee drink that's trending. I'd call it the coffee version of a Bloody Mary... just kidding!

If translated directly, this coffee would be called "Flat Red," similar to how Flat White would be translated as "Flat White." However, following the translation pattern of Flat White - which was named "Australian White" because it was invented in the Australia-New Zealand region - Flat Red was invented in Ukraine, so it should be called...

"I know! Ukrainian Red Coffee!"

-Excellent!!!

But after tasting it, the name "Spiced Red Wine Americano" kept echoing in the barista's mind... The reasons will become clear as we continue reading.

What is Flat Red?

Similar to the birth of Flat White, which emerged because consumers in the Australia-New Zealand region wanted milk coffee with a stronger coffee flavor, more cafes began making drinks distinct from balanced and smooth lattes, using stronger coffee and thinner milk foam to create Flat White.

The birth of Flat Red was also driven by people in the Ukraine region wanting to experience coffee with special flavors. Some cafes began researching products that could both attract people visually and leave a memorable impression of their coffee taste.

In the Ukraine region, red wine is very popular among local consumers, and light red is a color loved by Ukrainian people. Therefore, some coffee shops researched coffee products that could have similar colors and tastes to wine but be alcohol-free, with a sweet and sour yet rich flavor profile.

Vadym Granovskiy, the barista who invented Flat Red, explained that initially, blood orange juice was used for the red component. However, freshly squeezed blood orange juice has noticeable bitterness from citrus peel, which when mixed with coffee creates a more astringent taste beneath the sweet and sour notes.

But citrus fruit juices blend exceptionally well with coffee, so pomegranate juice was used instead for the red component, while orange juice was added to enhance the sweet and sour sensation of the mixed juice, giving Flat Red a richer texture. The mixture of pomegranate and orange juice, when heated, also develops a rich texture similar to red wine with a subtle fermented wine aroma.

When the product was launched, it immediately gained popularity among local consumers who shared photos of it, and the drink quickly became popular throughout the Ukraine region, with more and more local cafes offering Flat Red.

It can be said that this coffee doesn't have much relation to Flat White; the only similarity is that both products have a thin layer of silky foam, which is why they both use the word "Flat."

How to Make Flat Red?

Following the recipe available online, FrontStreet Coffee also tried to recreate it.

Flat Red uses freshly squeezed pomegranate and orange juice. Due to limited equipment in the shop, the barista prepared fresh pomegranate and orange juice at home before coming to work today, mixing them in a 1:1 ratio.

(What the barista didn't expect was! Since it's not yet pomegranate season, the pomegranate juice came out with only a light red color. After adding freshly squeezed orange juice, it directly turned orange-red...

For the espresso component, a double shot of espresso was used. The espresso beans used this time were still FrontStreet Coffee's longtime partner "Sunflower Warm Sunshine Blend," which naturally produces fermented wine aromas and berry-like sweet and sour notes when extracted.

The preparation steps are as follows: (Today's espresso extraction parameters) 19.8g of coffee grounds to extract 38g of coffee liquid, with an extraction time of 28 seconds, then poured into a 200ml glass cup and set aside.

Next, add 160g of mixed juice to a milk pitcher, use steam to heat the juice to about 55 degrees Celsius and create a thin layer of delicate foam. Finally, mix the heated juice with the espresso.

Overall, it really tastes like spiced red wine! The initial taste is like pomegranate wine that has undergone short-term fermentation, enhanced with the sweet and sour notes of orange, followed by the nutty flavors of coffee and the taste of liqueur-filled chocolate.

However, this Flat Red is seasonal. Now is not the best time for ripe pomegranates, and we couldn't find pomegranates with ruby-red flesh. The pomegranate juice extracted this time was only light red, and after adding orange juice, the red color wasn't particularly prominent.

If made during the peak pomegranate harvest season, the overall sweet and sour taste of this coffee, along with the pomegranate aroma, would be fuller, and the coffee color would lean more toward red.

- END -

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