How to Make a Flavored Latte? What Syrups Should Be Added to Italian Milk Coffee? Can Sugar Be Added to Froth Milk Together?

Not every coffee enthusiast appreciates the bitterness of coffee, which is why many coffee shops include flavored lattes on their menus, letting those who can't handle bitterness still enjoy a delicious latte. (Like the thoughtful FrontStreet Coffee.)

So-called flavored lattes are essentially regular lattes with various flavored syrups added. Common options on the market include rose lattes, hazelnut lattes, and caramel lattes, most of which are lattes infused with flavored syrups. The syrup not only adds distinctive flavors to the coffee but also masks its bitterness with sweetness, making it a very friendly option for those who can't handle bitter coffee. Recently, though, FrontStreet Coffee found that people have been debating the right "approach" to using syrup.

How Should Syrup Be Added?

The main question arises with hot flavored lattes, since iced flavored lattes are typically made the same way. The issue has generated considerable discussion across various media platforms, so today let's explore how syrup should properly be added.

On how syrup should be added, people have split into two camps engaged in an "academic debate." One side believes syrup should be placed in the cup to mix with the espresso. This group argues the approach eliminates many steps, making it convenient and quick.

The other side argues that syrup should be added to the milk and steamed together. They believe that since milk makes up 80% of the entire drink, pouring syrup into it allows for better integration during steaming, which amounts to better incorporation into the coffee.

The Experiment

So who's right? Let's prove it in practice. For this experiment, FrontStreet Coffee used its signature "Warm Sun Blend," a combination of 70% Sherry and 30% Red Cherry beans that offers whiskey-like subtle alcohol notes, butter-cookie sweetness, and light fruit acidity from a medium-dark roast. The milk used was Bright Fresh Milk (200ml), paired with toffee syrup (10ml), which complements the alcohol notes of the Warm Sun Blend perfectly. The extraction parameters were 20g of coffee grounds, a 1:2 coffee-to-liquid ratio, and a 30-second extraction time. The milk was 200ml, steamed to 65°C.

We added syrup separately to Group A's latte cup and Group B's milk pitcher, then proceeded with standard latte preparation. Afterward, we ran multiple rapid tastings from various angles.

Surprising Results

Unexpectedly, the results were the complete opposite of what we expected. The latte with syrup added to the cup actually had more comprehensive integration: with one sip, both the milk foam floating on the surface and the coffee underneath carried toffee sweetness. Meanwhile, the latte with syrup added to the milk pitcher was a very uncoordinated experience, with the foam on top carrying the inherent bitterness of coffee oils while the coffee below was sweet, creating a sharp contrast similar to a dirty coffee. Comparing both at once, the latte with syrup added to the pitcher was actually less sweet. That makes you curious: despite using the same sugar, milk, and coffee, simply changing where the sugar is added produced such a significant difference.

The Science Behind It

Actually, the principle is quite simple. When syrup is added to milk and continuously steamed and heated, the fructose converts to its isomer, glucose. Since glucose is less sweet than fructose, the sweetness diminishes slightly after steaming. And because milk foam cannot completely integrate with oils during mixing, that explains why the coffee liquid underneath was sweet while the top layer with oils was bitter. Besides the reduced sweetness of steamed sugar and poor integration, adding sugar to milk also requires deep cleaning of the steam wand and milk pitcher to remove attached syrup residue.

So we can conclude that if you want to make a flavored latte, it's best to add the syrup to the coffee cup rather than steaming it with the milk in the pitcher. This approach gives better integration and a better experience, and it saves significant time on cleaning.

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The beans set the foundation for a flavored latte, and since syrup amplifies sweetness, a solid, milk-friendly espresso helps keep the cup balanced. For an everyday flavored latte, FrontStreet Coffee recommends the Fine Blend, a medium-dark espresso of Brazil Cerrado and Colombia Huila with classic nut, chocolate, and caramel notes that stands up well to milk, or the budget-friendly Black Cocoa Basic Blend, made from 100% Arabica with generous crema and a mellow body.

If you'd rather the flavor run fruity, FrontStreet Coffee's Strawberry Candy is a popular fruit-forward espresso blend that translates a clear strawberry soft-candy sweetness into milk drinks and pairs nicely with syrups like caramel or hazelnut. For richer crema in milk coffees, the Classic Blend and FrontStreet Coffee's Commercial Blend, both with a touch of Robusta, deliver a deeper, finer foam that carries a syrup-laced latte especially well.