If there's one thing that never wavers, it's our love for coffee. It's delicious, it provides an excuse to meet up with friends, and it gives us both a boost of energy in the morning and time to relax when sipping in the afternoon. But just like each state has their favorite Super Bowl dip recipe and skincare brand, we got a peek at coffee trends across the country thanks to Denby. Whether you're a die-hard iced coffee fan no matter the season or you prefer your coffee black, keep reading to see if your favorite drink makes the list.
The different kinds of coffee can feel overwhelming when you're not familiar with them, but they're easy to understand once you break them down. Here are the most popular coffee drinks across the country:
- Black coffee: Black coffee is exactly what it sounds like! Pure coffee, no cream or milk added.
- Cappuccino: A cappuccino is espresso with a smaller portion of milk and a bigger portion of milk foam
- Cold brew: Cold brew is made by letting water and coffee grounds steep at room temperature before draining.
- Decaf: Decaf is similar to regular black coffee, but the beans have been decaffeinated.
- Iced coffee: All you need to do to make this drink is pour some regular brewed coffee over ice and you're good to go.
- Latte: A latte is espresso with a bigger portion of milk and a smaller portion of milk foam.
The Most Popular Coffee Drinks In Each State
Image courtesy of Denby.
Black Coffee — Five States
The most popular way to drink coffee in Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Wyoming is to take it black. You can use black coffee for a variety of recipes, but the key to a good drink is making sure the brew itself is as delicious as possible. Try out different beans until you find a flavor that you love the best (we're big fans of Chamberlain Coffee and Driftaway Coffee).
Cappuccino — Five States and One District
The cappuccino reigns supreme in D.C., Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, New York, and Oklahoma. This drink is a delicious addition to any morning, and is usually served in a smaller mug than a latte. One key step that will make your cappuccino better is to fill your mug with hot water before you make your drink. That way you don't have a cold mug affecting the temperature of your coffee.
Cold Brew — Seven States
Cold brew is a delicious and flavorful addition to any morning, and perhaps the best part about making this drink is that you don't need any expensive equipment or expertise, just time and coffee beans. When making a batch of your own, the ratio is 1:4 with coffee and water respectively. We've found the magic number for brewing is 18 hours, but you can adjust depending on how strong you like this coffee drink. Check out some more tips and tricks here and enjoy a cold brew like the folks in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington do.
Iced Coffee — 26 States
Iced coffee is one of the easier methods in this list, especially if you're working with a coffee pot since the machine does almost all the work for you. We love adding a splash of our favorite non-dairy milk and flavored syrup to upgrade the final result, or you can go all out with a recipe like this red velvet iced coffee. Iced coffee lovers reside in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia, and Wisconsin— making it one of the most popular coffee drinks around.
Decaf — Six States
Coffee with less caffeine is a great option for anyone, but one thing to keep an eye out for is the Swiss Water Decaffeination Process, which decaffeinates the coffee beans without the use of chemicals. With decaf, you can still make all your favorite coffee drinks, without any of the shaky or adrenaline-fueled side effects! Decaf rules the land as the most popular coffee drink in California, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and Virginia.
Latte — One State
This is usually our drink of choice — we find the ratio of milk to espresso is a delicious combo! Minnesota seems to agree as it was the only state that rated the latte number one. Add some of your favorite syrup to make it extra flavorful, or try making an adaptogen latte if you want to take part but aren't a fan of the taste of coffee beans.
How To Brew Your Coffee
Image courtesy of Denby.
There are different methods to make coffee at home, and which one you pick will depend on your lifestyle. You might prefer filter coffee over single-serve coffee pods if you always drink multiple cups, or you can buy a canister of instant coffee if you're always on the go.
Coffee pods can be used with Keurigs for a single cup at a time, but if you're worries about throwing away a bunch of pods, grab a reusable pod and fill it with your favorite bagged grounds. Cowboy coffee combines water and grounds in the same pot, and then you pour the coffee into a mug after all the grounds have settled. Dalgona, or whipped coffee (which was a viral TikTok food trend during 2020), features a mix of instant coffee, sugar, and hot water that you froth together and serve over milk.
Espresso is a concentrated shot of coffee that's used in lattes, mochas, and cappuccinos. While finding a good espresso machine can be pricey, it won't take long before it pays for itself with how many trips to Starbucks you'll save. Filter coffee is the kind of drink you make with coffee pots and features ground coffee and water filtered apart from the grounds, while French press coffee drinks are smooth and strong. One drawback to this last method, however, is that you can only make two or three cups at a time depending on how big your French press is.
Instant coffee is exactly what it sounds like: it's powder that you can mix together with water for an instant cup o' joe. This method isn't as strong as the others, but it's good for anyone who's in a rush but still wants something to drink.
Moka is an Italian method of making coffee that is similar to espresso, but doesn't have quite the same taste or foamy crema on top. It's fascinating to make because the water and the grounds go in the bottom of the hourglass-shaped pot, and steam pushes the coffee upwards through a filter.
Make your own pour over coffee maker with some pipe for a cute and functional addition to your kitchen counter, or find a good glass pour over coffee maker with a permanent filter. This method is similar to filtered coffee, but you have more control over how the drink turns out since it's hand-poured instead of done with a machine.
Do you agree with the most popular coffee drinks in your state? Check out our Pinterest and Instagram for more coffee drinks and fun recipes!
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