New on Bar: Vanilla Paste Latte!

Frankly, we didn’t know if we were the “vanilla latte” types. Vanilla is the world’s most popular flavor, and a lot of its uses are a little, well… basic.

But we don’t do basic at Sightglass. So when we decided to add something new to the menu, we work-shopped with a single goal: creating something so. damn. delicious. The result is a perfect balance of sweetness and complexity, a true showcase for the ingredients, and importantly, full of that essential hygge vibe.

So what makes the difference? Well, the espresso for starters. Obviously any drink made from Owl’s Howl is special. And the Double Eight milk, from those cows up in Petaluma, is as rich and creamy as you’re ever gonna see. But it’s the vanilla that makes it a vanilla latte. (duh.)

First thing to know: only 1 percent of the vanilla flavor in the world is from actual vanilla pods. Generally, the synthetic version is made from wood pulp, or, and we hesitate to say this because it’s gross — the scent glands of mature beavers.

BUT NOT THIS VANILLA. This is super-premium vanilla paste from Nielsen-Massey, a company founded in 1907. Grown in Madagascar, and known as “bourbon” for the same reason as the “bourbon” coffee variety (they both originally come from Réunion, the island previously known as the Île Bourbon) this stuff is world-famous for being rich and creamy, the quintessential example of that “old-fashioned” vanilla flavor.

The result is indulgent and complex, but never too sweet. The floral qualities of the vanilla complement the taste notes of the Owl’s Howl (cacao nib, stone fruit, and candied orange peel), and the milk from local Jersey cows provides the deeply satisfying creaminess that latte dreams are made of. (Yeah, we dream about lattes. Sorry.)

So, in short: brand new, mega delicious, ultra premium, not from beavers. It’s available now in all our locations so give it a try and spread the word!