We asked our readers what they’re sipping on this summer—here’s what they said.
BY EMILY JOY MENESES
ONLINE EDITOR
Featured photo by Joel Lee
While you can never go wrong with cold brew or an iced latte, why stop there when it comes to summer drinks? This season, cafés are embracing bold flavors that go way beyond the usual suspects.
We asked our readers what they’re serving up and sipping on over the next few weeks—read on for a quick round-up of some of our favorite summer specials across the United States.
San Fran Coffee: Cold Brew Nogroni and Pineapple Cold Brew
With over 30 years of experience in the industry, San Fran Coffee knows how to create a memorable drink—and they’ve pulled out all of the stops for their summer 2025 menu.
The café’s team shares that this year, they’re offering a handful of summer specials, including The Nogroni (an alcohol-free Negroni, made with cold brew, rosemary, and a splash of orange) and Pineapple Cold Brew (cold brew splashed with pineapple and coconut, and finished with a touch of cream).
And for those who prefer tea over coffee, the shop has also added what they call the Spicy Chai Shandy to their menu: spicy chai mixed with Southern-style sweet peach tea and topped with a cloud of cinnamon cold foam.
Sip Stir Coffee: Mora Mora Latte
Based in Dallas, Texas, Sip Stir Coffee captures the fresh and fruity aromas of summer in their Mora Mora Latte: loose leaf earl grey tea steeped with whole blackberries and fresh blackberry purée.
As a caffeine-free option, the shop has also added a refreshing Strawberry Hibiscus Lemonade to their menu—the perfect way to cool down under the Texas sun. ”So much love to our team (for their) creativity and passion for making unique drinks!” the team wrote to Barista Magazine.
Coffee By Design: Piña Colada Latte
The piña colada is the quintessential summer cocktail—and Portland, Maine’s Coffee By Design has beautifully reimagined the beverage with their seasonal special: the Piña Colada Latte.
Crafted by Coffee By Design barista Mia Harper, the latte features a house-made syrup with pineapple, coconut sugar, and a splash of lemon, added to a coconut milk base and mixed with milk and a double shot of espresso.
North Koffee: Shark Bite
Based in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, North Koffee shows that summer drinks can be just as decadent as winter specials. One of their seasonal beverages is what they call the Shark Bite: iced coffee infused with flavors of chocolate and raspberry and topped with shark-shaped candy.
Editor’s Pick – Da Vien: Vietnamese Coffee with Ube Cream
In the summer, there are few things I love more than Vietnamese iced coffee—the deep taste of robusta paired with the sweetness of condensed milk, all over crushed ice, is just so satisfying.
My favorite place to get this drink at the moment is southern California’s Da Vien: a Vietnamese café that’s quickly grown in popularity throughout Orange County and Los Angeles. The shop sources all of their coffee straight from Vietnam, and their drinks are the perfect blend of smoky and sweet—it’s safe to say that I’ll have this beverage on repeat all summer long.
Stay Tuned for More Summer Updates
Keep an eye out for more summer-related content in the coming weeks—we can’t wait to see what other great things the specialty-coffee world will be brewing up this season!
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