A Look at Tropical Torani Syrup Flavors

Torani syrup is a famous brand of flavored syrups that is used by most coffee shops all over the world. The variety of available flavors gives the barista freedom to be as creative as he can be when preparing coffee drinks.  Aside from coffee shops, bars and even kitchens also utilize these flavored syrups for added flavor to the dishes and drinks that they prepare. The dessert and beverage flavors you can get by just adding a squirt of syrup is amazing, not to mention endless with a dash of imagination and daring.  

The tropical line of syrups is among the hits that people appreciate with Torani syrup, especially during the summer, if people want to feel like they’re in some vacation, as well as in the cooler months, so they can feel warm even during fall and winter. You need not bring yourself to a tropical island to feel the vibe as the flavors of the syrups should be enough to transport you there. At least, you won’t need to get in a plane, thus saving you a lot of money! These flavored syrups embody the flavors of the tropical islands.  Coconut, guava, lime, orange, and mango are some of the syrups under the Torani line which can give you the tropical flavor that you are in the mood for. If you are looking for serving suggestions for these tropical syrups, read on!

The Torani coconut syrup can be added to piña coladas to give that authentic tropical flavor. Assemble your usual piña coladas. What you need are 2 ounces of pineapple juice, 2 ounces of rhum, and instead of using an ounce and a half of cream of coconut, use only three quarters of an ounce. Add a twist by using the Torani syrup. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice before adding these ingredients, then shake well. Pour into a martini glass with a cherry and a Maraschino cherry for garnishing.

Other flavors can be used for desserts and drinks.  Torani’s mango flavored syrup can be added to drinks or desserts for a truly authentic tropical vibe. Cakes can have a lighter, tropical feel by adding mango syrup instead of piling up one chocolate flavor after another, which can be quite heavy on the taste buds.

Passion fruit syrup is also another favored tropical flavor. Use this syrup on cocktail drinks to add a tropical dimension to rather strong alcoholic flavors. Singapore sling, a popular cocktail can be further tropical-ized with the addition of this passion fruit flavor. Lower the amount of cherry brandy and add a quirt of passion fruit syrup instead. Your cocktail will surely have a more tangy flavor!

You can be as creative as you want to be with the variety of tropical flavors.  It is easy to hold a luau party because you can easily recreate the flavors of the islands with your drinks and food that you plan to serve.  The tropical flavors are sure hit, especially this fall and into the colder months. 

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Surefire Ways to Set a Good Mood Every Monday

Let’s admit it. Shaking off the weekend hangover is especially difficult every Monday morning when the thought of the piling paper works and urgent meetings come crashing down on your mind. It’s like waking up into a day filled with little havocs that all you really want to do is to pull up the covers and bury yourself on your bed.

As much as you want to ditch wearing your office uniform and start the first of five day work week, the only thing you can do is to drag yourself and turn on your work mode. But if you need more ways on how you can perk yourself up (aside from downing a large cup of coffee) to welcome the first day of work, here are some tips you can try!

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5 Reasons to Buy Coffee Syrups

Coffee shops have to find different ways to make their service better than the others. They continuously have to find ways to improve their customer’s experience in order to rise above others in the industry. This is how and why flavored coffee syrups were invented – to give coffee shops and restaurants something to improve their dining and drinking services. However, now that there are several types of coffee and coffee beans, why not just alternate, right? Why buy coffee syrups for your shop? 

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Here are 5 reasons why your coffee shop should definitely take the next step to serving coffee. 

1. Make flavored coffee

In today’s world where high-end technology has taken over the next generation, it’s important to give people what they want. And when they want something as unique-sounding as flavored coffee, they have to get it. Fortunately for you, flavored coffee isn’t exactly impossible. Despite the fact that flavored coffee didn’t become mainstream till the late 20^th century, it has been a growing beverage for high-end coffee shops. Now that it’s becoming more and more popular, you definitely have to start offering flavored coffee to those who want it. 

2. Lessen the use of sugar

You wouldn’t want to get blamed for using too much sugar. It’s just not healthy. Besides, if you use too much sugar, you can’t serve coffee to those who are diabetic. Instead, you’ll have to give them special sugar and coffee. However, if you have flavored syrups with natural sweeteners, then you can still serve them flavored coffee without endangering their health. They still get to experience the unusual coffee experience without worrying about their health. 

3. Change the taste of your usual coffee

Drinking coffee the same way all the time can get boring. Imagine working in an office where everything tastes the same. Imagine drinking coffee from the same coffee shop every 4 hours. That’ll be pretty bitter for your tongue. If you use coffee syrups to change the way your coffee tastes, you can help yourself with a different tasting coffee. And your customers will also appreciate it as well. 

4. Promote experiments

Having coffee syrups inside a coffee shop will help motivate you to experiment a little. Part of becoming a restaurant or coffee shop owner is the creativity and innovation to experiment a little with your menu. If you have the ingredients, what’s stopping you from trying? Flavored syrups can make a lot of different types of drinks. If you use various flavors, you can end up creating several types of drinks for your coffee shop. 

5. Offer something different

Once you start experimenting, you get the chance to offer something different. All coffee shops fight to offer something unique to their customers. If you’re the first to offer a unique, delicious drink, you could make a mark for your coffee shop in the future. When people look at your store, they’ll see that special, delicious drink you invented. All other coffee shops will try to copy you in the future as well.

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5 Most Popular Coffee Syrups to Taste

One of the best ways to change the basic flavor of your coffee is to add flavored coffee syrups. No more ordinary coffee for your daily dosage. And if you don’t like the actual taste of coffee, you can still enjoy a good cup of caffeine with a flavored taste, just by adding these syrups. If you simply want a different type of coffee for your breakfast, you can always buy bottled syrups to help you change the taste into something more flavorful. Out of the hundreds of different types of coffee syrups, here are 5 of the most popular flavors you need to taste.

photo credit: whatscookingamerica.net

1. Vanilla – this aromatic flavor is popular for cakes, pastries and even ice cream. Because it is a basic taste for different kinds of food, it adds elegance to anything you mix it into. Despite vanilla being a popular additive for experienced chefs, beginners can also use it to spice their drinks. And if you’re not satisfied with the ordinary taste of vanilla, you can also try other vanilla tastes like French vanilla and vanilla bean.
2. Chocolate coffee syrup – who doesn’t love chocolate? If you hate the bitter taste of coffee, then you’ll definitely appreciate the sweetness of chocolate added into your coffee drink. Because chocolate is a popular flavor for syrups, they are usually inexpensive, allowing chefs and bartenders to easily mix the sweetness of chocolate to dissolve the bitterness of coffee. If you add just the right amount of coffee and specific ingredients into your coffee, you can enjoy the delicious mocha beverage. All you need now is some ice, whipped cream and cherries to top your iced mocha coffee drink.
3. Buttered rum isn’t a common flavor for syrups. However, this flavor is actually pretty unique with your ordinary coffee. Buttered rum is a good additive for those who have a sweet tooth. If you’re curious as to how buttered rum actually tastes, it’s similar to sweet butterscotch candies. On the other hand, you don’t like the actual rum flavor (actual alcoholic taste) for your coffee, you can use buttered rum instead. But if you’re adventurous and you really want the alcohol kick, you can also add a bit of real rum to make your coffee drink taste like the actual alcoholic drink.
4. Mint flavor – nothing better than spice for your coffee. Everyone likes the slightly minty taste. If you add this mint flavor to your coffee, you will definitely enjoy the extra “kick” from its flavor. Besides, mint is also known to be a calming and soothing component, perfect for those who need something to keep them relaxed. If you don’t like the mint flavor alone, you can also add chocolate for Java goodness.
5. Caramel flavored syrups are also delicious for coffee. If chocolate is too dark for you, caramel is a great alternative. As a mixture of brown sugar and butter, you’ll enjoy the creamy, smooth syrup for your coffee. Great way to sweeten your morning cup of coffee. 

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How to Make Your Own Coffee Syrup

Nowadays, the ordinary type of coffee isn’t necessary at all. Despite the fact that you might need strong coffee to survive your day, you don’t have to suffer a bitter tongue just to get your hourly dose of caffeine. Instead, you can always get the caffeinated beverage with coffee syrup to enjoy an energizing drink without the after taste. That would be the ideal situation if there’s a nearby café or restaurant near your place.

However, if you cannot buy coffee from a café or the grocery stores have run out of stocks, you can enjoy the alternative way to enjoying your coffee. By making your own syrup, you can control how much to add in your beverage and how many times you can drink flavored coffee.

photo credit: naturesflavors.com

Don’t worry, you don’t need to be Betty Crocker to make the syrup. In fact, you can make your own chocolate coffee syrup within a few minutes!

What do you need to make your own chocolate coffee syrup?

Before you start cooking, you need to prepare the ingredients to make your syrup. You’ll need a half cup and 2 tablespoons of white sugar, half cup of unsweetened, powdered cocoa and half cup of water. You’ll also need a teaspoon of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

How do you make your own chocolate coffee syrup?

Now that you have your ingredients ready, you can begin your cooking process. Start cooking by mixing the sugar and powdered cocoa in a medium-sized saucepan. Continue stirring until the lumps have disappeared inside your mix. Turn the stove up to heat at medium rate. At this point, you can start adding the water and the salt, slowly into your mix. Cook well and stir your syrup as frequently as you can.

Wait around for some time until your syrup starts to boil. The liquid will thicken a bit and you can continue to stir while it cooks for a few more minutes. When you think the liquid has thickened enough, take your saucepan from the stove and let your mix cool for at least 5 minutes. By then, you should be able to smell the slightly chocolate-y flavor. Once your syrup has cooled down, you can add the vanilla extract. This will heighten its aroma and add to its chocolate taste.

Since this recipe makes more than what you need for one drink, you can store the rest in an air tight container and leave it in the refrigerator until your next use. This way, you don’t waste any syrup at all.

Now that you have your coffee syrup, you can start making your caffeinated beverages. Remember to use only 2 tablespoons or less to a cup of coffee or coffee and milk. Unless you want a really sweet beverage, you can add more of your home-cooked coffee syrup. Pour the syrup slowly so you can taste test until you have poured the right amount.

Enjoy your flavored coffee with some pastries and a good book. Best way to spend a weekend!

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Ways to Get Better Coffee

Are you wondering why you don’t seem to like your coffee? Although you love the effects of coffee, you just can’t stand its bitter taste and how you have to sit through two or three cups just to energize yourself. This is normal for many people. Sometimes, they just get so used to the taste that they never really bother to wonder why they don’t seem to enjoy the taste of coffee – at least not as much as other caffeine addicts may be.

So how can you start enjoying your coffee – for real this time?

Use a coffeemaker

As much as you may deny it all you want, maybe the problem with your coffee is the fact that you don’t brew it well enough. Coffee can have a really rewarding taste, especially if you brew it to your liking. If you use powdered coffee, you won’t be able to control the strength of your coffee. And if you don’t know how to use a coffeemaker right, you might not be getting the best benefits of it. By using a coffeemaker, you can get a different taste out of your everyday coffee run.

It’s not just any coffeemaker though. There are different types out there and sometimes, you need to choose which one will help make the perfect coffee. It might take a lot of trial and error with different coffeemakers. However, to save time and money, you can also read reviews online to help you decide which coffeemaker might be the one you’re looking for.

Change type of coffee

But then again, maybe it’s just the taste you’re looking for. Have you tried black coffee? Coffee with milk? Coffee with sugar? If you have and you still don’t like it, then you might want to try changing the flavor instead. Nowadays, coffee beverages are available in various flavors. You can change the way your coffee tastes, just by adding flavored coffee syrups. With the use of different syrups, you can pick the flavor you want for your daily drink. By drinking flavored coffee instead of the usual morning brew, you won’t have to settle for the bitter taste anymore. Adding a good amount of these syrups can already spice up your drink. And the good thing about syrups? There are so many flavors and brands to choose from! All you have to do is find the one mix to help you enjoy your daily morning coffee.

Change your beans

If all else fails, maybe it’s time to change your coffee beans. Coffee is made in different parts of the world. Each type of coffee has its own taste. For some, the difference may not be noticeable at all. But for others who have a much more sensitive sense of taste, the difference could mean a lot. Have you tried different brands? Have you tried Arabica coffee? Arabica coffee itself has several varieties originating from different parts of the world. Or Robusta coffee? Green coffee from Brazil? One of these types of coffee beans just might help you enjoy your coffee more. 

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Coffee or No Coffee? Other Beverages That Can Help You Energize

Mornings can be pretty hectic for anyone who didn’t get the right amount of sleep the night before. When this happens, it is important for them to find something to energize them. At least for the next 8 hours that they have to be alive, alert and awake at work. But when coffee’s just a little too much for the moment, what other beverages can you drink that won’t give you insomnia for the rest of the night?

Tea

Unlike coffee that has a good amountof caffeine resulting in keeping you up for the rest of the night, tea won’t give you the same effect. Since it only has around half the amount of caffeine in your coffee, it will stimulate your body enough for an energizing effect, but not too much that you’ll end up having to take sleeping pills just to make it through the night. Just like coffee, tea also has a good amount of antioxidants for your body. Best of all, you can choose among a wide variety of flavors so you don’t get bored with just one. Some of the most popular types of tea include green tea, licorice tea and black tea.

Smoothies and Juice

On the other hand, to stay completely away from caffeine altogether, you may want to try a cold glass of juice or smoothie instead. Juice is so much healthier than tea or coffee. And when it comes to variety, nothing beats it either. For fiber and potassium, carrot juice is the best option. Unfortunately, because it has a lot of sugar, it might not be a healthy option for a daily morning routine. Pomegranate juice, however, has 3 times the antioxidants compared to green tea. Not only that, it also functions as a blood thinner, making it excellent for the heart. A smoothie made out of cherry juice will also benefit those who suffer from arthritis, muscle pains or any other types of pain. Also filled with antioxidants, it can also prevent a heart attack, stroke or even colon cancer.

Protein Shakes

If you really need a lot of energy in the morning, then protein shakes are great for your morning routines. By drinking protein shakes, you can easily get your fruit and vegetable requirements in just one beverage. If you’re creative, you can even create your own protein shake, adding in everything you want and need in a diet. In a few minutes, you’ll get your drink and you can even bring it with you to the office. Even if you don’t eat anything, your protein shake will serve as a good substitute.

Flavored Coffee

However, if you truly cannot shake off your love for coffee, you can make a difference by using flavored coffee syrups instead. Syrups allow you to get a different taste of your favorite everyday coffee. At least, you can lessen the amount of sugar you drink daily. If you also like fruits, you can even get your coffee in the flavor of your favorite fruit.

Now, which type of beverage would you choose for your mornings?

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What are the Different Types of Coffee Syrups?

Since just about everyone in the country is addicted to coffee, several people have created ways to make their coffee experience a little different. Instead of the usual slightly bitter, semi-sweet taste of good coffee or maybe even the seriously bitter taste of black coffee, they’ve derived everyone’s favorite drink into a variety of flavors from different brands.

Before you choose the perfect type of syrup for you, here’s a little overview on some of the most famous brands of coffee syrups.

Da Vinci Gourmet

One of the most popular brands of syrup, Da Vinci Gourmet was made especially for special beverages. Producing only all-natural syrups from single-origin ingredients, the products of Da Vinci Gourmet are made to create a refreshing cremosa or a coffee mocha, just for the caffeine-addicted. But really, it’s not just because Da Vinci Gourmet has over 100 flavors to offer their caffeine-lovers. It’s also because Da Vinci Gourmet offers merchandising support and a menu just for those who will be using their products. Their website offers a variety of menus for anyone to try.

Torani

This famous family-owned company dates back to as far as 1925. Back then, when Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre moved to North Beach, San Francisco from Italy, they introduced more than just their home-made recipes straight from their hometown. The couple also introduced the Italian soda after mixing the syrup with sparkling water. Proving to be a success, they sold the recipe to cafes in the area. Eventually, they also started selling the famous Torani syrups in their own wholesale grocery. Back in the day, they started with just 5 flavors. Today, Torani syrups are being distributed in over 40 countries with over 100 flavors. Apparently, Torani was also involved in the making of one of the famous beverages in the country – the flavored caffe latte, made from Torani syrup, espresso and steamed milk. 

Monin

Since George Monin built the company in 1912 in Bourges, France, this brand of syrup actually celebrates its century of existence this year 2012. In less than 19 years, Monin started to export to various European countries. Since it’s been around for a century, Monin has also become a choice brand for gourmet beverages. Now that they have 100 flavors and more, the brand delivers their products to over 120 countries around the world. Monin creates their syrups from natural ingredients like fruits, spices, flowers and nuts, selected from around the world to ensure the consistent, but pure taste in their products. Made from pure sugar, Monin aims to retain the best flavors with respect for other ingredients.

All three of these major brands of gourmet syrups all offer similar flavors like almond, vanilla, raspberry, blueberry, peach, caramel, banana, apple and even blackberry. From all of these syrups, you can make so many different types of beverages – coffee based or not. You can make Italian sodas, smoothies, caffe lattes and even cocktails. While you have a great selection of syrup flavors to choose from, your only problem now is – which product should you choose? 

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How to Use Coffee Syrups – Except on Coffee

Did the title confuse you a little? I bet it did. Is it possible to actually use coffee syrups NOT on coffee? Interestingly, it is definitely possible.

Unfortunately for those who may have thought that these syrups are the alternative to actual coffee, this is apparently, not the case. These are only used on coffee to give the energizing drink a different flavor, with the possibility of turning it into an entirely different coffee-based, maybe even iced beverage, too. While these syrups are slowly becoming more and more popular due to the effects that they have on coffee, there is more to these syrups than meets the eye.

In fact, these syrups are actually pretty useful, especially in the kitchen, even without the use of coffee, of course.

How, you may ask?

These flavored syrups create Italian sodas

Italian soda is a beverage commonly sold in cafes. Even if the name makes it seem like some complex and authentic type of beverage from Italy, it is in fact only flavored sparkling water. Weird? A little bit. All you have to do is mix the flavored syrup into the sparkling water and stir well. Voila! You now have an Italian soda in your hands. The good thing about these Italian sodas is that they are perfect for young kids, especially those who love to drink soft drinks. Instead of giving them a dose of caffeinated drinks that will keep them awake for hours, kids can enjoy Italian soda instead. And with the variety of coffee syrups available, they can even choose whatever flavor they want!

If you like to experiment, you can also add some cream or milk into your Italian soda. Once you do, you now have a cremosa, or another variation of the Italian soda.

Addition to pastries and baked goodies

If you’re a regular Betty Crocker, then you’ll definitely enjoy these syrups in your kitchen. Besides flavoring coffee, these syrups are also delicious when poured over cheesecakes, chocolate cakes, pancakes and even ice cream. The most delicious desserts are topped with chocolate syrups just to add to the flavor. However, if you’ll be using the syrups for baking, make sure to choose those with higher quality so you can get a thicker, more concentrated form of syrup. Bakers who enjoy playing around with their creations can use various flavors to add to their goodies. Flavors like vanilla, hazelnut, coconut, strawberry, caramel and almond are just some of the most popular syrups you can use for various pastries and cakes.

Fortunately for you, these syrups are available in almost every coffee shop nowadays. It is only up to you to choose the flavor you want. Hopefully, your favorite coffee shop has them or you may have to end up ordering your coffee syrup from an online store.

Have you tried these coffee syrups on anything, but coffee? Curious how they’ll taste with ice cream? Chocolate syrup is best mixed with Vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

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