BY EMILY JOY MENESES
ONLINE EDITOR
Featured photo by Annie Spratt
Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere has officially begun, and cafés are pulling out all of the familiar fall favorites: lattes laced with warming flavors of cinnamon and clove, coffees decked out with luxurious notes of caramel and vanilla, and, of course, all things maple.
The Ice Maker Hub recently conducted a study in which they’ve revealed the most popular flavors trending on social media—perfect for coffee shop owners and baristas currently building out their seasonal menus.
Method
For the study, the research team at The Ice Maker Hub analyzed the total number of hashtags on Instagram for each popular coffee flavor, including #FlavorLatte and #FlavorCoffee. The final ranking was then determined by the flavors with the highest total number of Instagram uploads.
In a surprising twist, pumpkin spice, which previously ranked as #1, was dethroned from its spot at the top.
Read on to find out what the top ten flavors of the season are, according to the study.
Top 10 Flavors of the Season
#1: Vanilla
A tried and true flavor for as long as the specialty-coffee world can remember, vanilla earned the #1 spot in the study, receiving a total of over 9.9 million uploads on Instagram.
To amp up your vanilla-flavored drinks this season, try adding unexpected flavors like bourbon or rosemary—or even a touch of salt.
#2: Strawberry
The second-most viral coffee flavor came as a bit of a surprise: Strawberry was featured in a total of 8.3 million Instagram uploads. The fruit flavor began picking up traction on social media sometime last year, with many consumers gravitating towards strawberry lattes and strawberry-flavored matcha drinks.
#3: Caramel
Adding a decadent touch to any coffee drink, caramel ranked #3 in the study, amassing a total of over 8.2 million Instagram uploads. Try making your own caramel sauce with this easy recipe.
#4: Lavender
Lavender has been a staple in the coffee world for the past several years, and it remains a popular choice for coffee consumers today. The floral flavor ranked fourth in the study and was featured in about 8.1 million Instagram posts.
#5: Honey
Honey ranked #5 in the study, appearing in 8,072,300 Instagram uploads. In recent months, hot honey (honey infused with chili peppers or red pepper flakes) has become especially popular.
#6: Pumpkin Spice
Synonymous with autumn in the coffee world, pumpkin spice earned sixth place after being in 1st place for the past several years. The popular flavor was featured in around 5.6 million posts on Instagram.
#7: Cinnamon
Next up is cinnamon, featured in around 5.2 million Instagram uploads. Its warming flavor is central to the autumn and winter seasons, and is an integral part of chai recipes.
#8: Tiramisu
Luxurious and indulgent, tiramisu ranked eighth in the study, appearing in 5.1 million Instagram posts.
#9: Mocha
Almost all coffee shops offer their own version of mocha, which ranked #9 in the study. The flavor was featured in around 4.9 million Instagram posts.
#10: Maple
Maple closes out the top 10 flavors, featured in a total of 4.8 million Instagram uploads.
Reflections on the Study
Scott Carswell, founder of The Ice Maker Hub, shares his thoughts on the recent findings. “While pumpkin spice still reigns as one of the most viral flavors in the ranking, this study depicts social media’s embrace of some of the more unconventional coffee flavors, like tiramisu and lavender,” he says.
“Although seasonal flavors like pumpkin spice and cinnamon still have that limited-time appeal, this study shows that it’s actually some of the more long-lasting and traditional flavors that take the top spots in the ranking,” he adds.
And, of course, use your own discretion when building your seasonal menu; while these findings may serve as inspiration, the best recipes will always be the ones created with heart.
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