You Did not Want A Caramel Machiatto; You Just Ordered It Because It Sounded Fancy

[wolven7]

Tom Waits - [How's It Gonna End?]--- Okay. Do you know what a caramel machiato is? It is a Layered Drink consisting of, in order: Caramel Sugar Syrup; Steamed, slightly frothed milk; Shots of Espresso; Caramel Sauce.

These are layered, one on top of the other-- with the exception of the espresso travelling down through the milk and syrup-- with the sauce on top, to provide a flavour profile which Changes As You Drink It.

Tom Waits - [Metropolitan Glide]--- If you order this drink and then stir it all together, before you even take a sip, do you know what you've just done? You've basically had me make you a really expensive caramel latté, which you then had to stir together, yourself. [EDIT: This goes double if you order an ICED caramel machiatto.]

Tom Waits - [Circus]--- *sigh* Coffee Shop Peeves.

Comments

[moonandserpent.livejournal.com]

I've never had a Starbucks prepare it like that. And I'm borderline addicted to them.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Really? The machiatto's supposed to be layered, with the espresso staining the milk, and the caramel sauce on top... How is Starbucks doing it?

[moonandserpent.livejournal.com]

Bunch of stuff goes in. Whipped cream and more carmel on tip.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Weird. At least they give you whipped cream, though.

[kitsuchan.livejournal.com]

A Starbucks caramel machiatto is a vanilla latte with caramel sauce and whipped cream on top.

My pet peeve was all the people ordering a macchiato (most Seattle coffee shops use "macchiato" to refer to an espresso macchiato) who then would get confused when it had no caramel and very little milk.

[not-hothead-yet.livejournal.com]

WTH? I worked at Starbucks in four different locations and they are very specific; a macchiato is steamed milk, whipped cream, caramel sauce drizzled on top THEN the espresso is poured on. "Macchiato" means "stained" that's the whole POINT of them. If a Starbucks' isn't making it that way, the barista is supposed to be disciplined away from teh bar.

[kitsuchan.livejournal.com]

I've only worked for tiny coffee shops, so I'll defer to your expert opinion.

My employee handbook said something to the effect of, "A real macchiato is espresso "stained" with milk and foam. A caramel macchiato is a sugary drink made by a certain unnamed coffee chain. Give them a vanilla latte with whipped cream and caramel sauce on top and they'll be happy." And they were. But my boss was generally cranky and contemptuous of any other coffee shop (which doesn't work out well in Seattle, where there are another five coffee shops within two blocks of yours).

The starbucks website says it has vanilla syrup, though, so it still sounds a little different from Damien's workplace's recipe.

[kitsuchan.livejournal.com]

I should add that I don't actually share my former boss' contempt for starbucks (or most other coffee places). I used to love the ones in Shanghai, especially because they were the only smoke-free businesses around, and there's only one place here that can compete.

Oh, and also, thank you (and Damien) explaining the drink. My friend who runs a coffee shop wasn't sure how to make them, and wanted to know for when a Starbucks customer wanders into her shop and orders one.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

No problem! Best of luck to your friend and the shop!

[wolven.livejournal.com]

From what I'm hearing from old managers about new managers/staff, construction standards have begun to slide.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's what I've been hearing from the Old Guard, about how the New Guard has been trained to do a thing, lately, too. It's really unfortunate. :\

[drgnsyr.livejournal.com]

Nope, that's pretty much how we made them at Starbucks. Possibly vanilla syrup rather than caramel on the bottom, but then steamed milk with foam, shot poured down through the foam, whip cream and caramel on top.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they do the vanilla. But, apparently, no one is really up on the Layering aspect, anymore.

[smartlikeatruck.livejournal.com]

And here I thought it was a) a diabetic coma or b) an insult to delicious coffee.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Both of those things.

[bakeneko.livejournal.com]

You know that whenever you post about work at the coffee shop, I still think of that damned monologue from 12 years ago :3

[karishi.livejournal.com]

I still think of him smashing that light fixture with a hammer.
Which, I believe, is one of the first times I saw him.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

wait... which light fixture...?

It bothers me when I don't remember my violent actions...

[karishi.livejournal.com]

In the version of that scene I saw, when you jumped on the table and raised the hammer above you (I think you were shouting something about being Thor) it actually hit the hanging light above you.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Hah! Yeah, that was one of the interstitial pieces, and I think we settled on David getting that one, for the final run through.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

Every time i realise I WORK in a coffee Shop i think about it, so... Yeah >_<.

[vonfaustus.livejournal.com]

That's why, if you plan to stir it, you order it "upside down" with "extra caramel." Because what I want is not a layered drink to provide bullsit profile and satisfaction, I want a caramel latte with a fuckton of caffiene and some good-tasting sugary shit to help it all blend together. You stuck-up jackass! Hee.

[wolven.livejournal.com]

You COULD just order a caramel latte. I'd sell it you, and everything.