Brooklyn parents embrace "babyccino" trend
By EJ DicksonFebruary 15th, 2012, 1:15 pmComments (8)
Denizens of Brooklyn, don't be surprised if you start seeing dozens of amped-up, flannel-swaddled infants huddling outside your local coffeehouse, lighting up Parliaments and yammering into their smart phones about what a self-important hack Jonathan Franzen is. That's because a kiddie coffee drink called the "babyccino" is currently taking the outer boroughs by storm, according to a recent story by the Brooklyn Paper.
The drink, which is either a $2 small decaf cappucino or a cup of steamed milk topped with foam and a sprinkle of cinnamon or chocolate powder, is being offered by coffeehouses in chichi neighborhoods like Park Slope and Prospect Heights, and apparently it's big among local toddlers with gender-neutral dolls and names that were popular in the early 1900s. Local cafe owners say that the drink — which was invented in Australia about a decade ago — has surged in popularity over the past few months, and one barista at a Fort Greene coffeehouse claims she serves up five to ten babyccinos daily.
Of course, any hipster mommy-endorsed trend is bound to have its detractors, and although pediatricians say that it's okay for kids to have a small amount of caffeine on a non-regular basis, many coffeeshop owners refuse to serve the drink, with one java expert (yes, apparently that is a thing) saying that babyccinos "interrupt workflow, create milk wastage, and can be served at a dangerous temperature to a vulnerable consumer." Which I guess is another way of saying, "the concept of a babyccino is, in itself, so fucking ridiculous that it makes my eyeballs bleed, so I'm just going to refuse to acknowledge its existence in the hopes that it goes away on its own or that I die first, either one."
Commentarium (8 Comments)
brooklyn.
They call it a babyccino but I am pretty sure it's a ripoff. There is hardly any baby in it!
I can't imagine any toddler drinking even an decaf cappucino -- it's too bitter, and kids tend to have very strong taste buds (it's why they can be so finicky about food). Hot milk with cinnamon or chocolate powder? That's more like it. But why be half-assed about it? When my toddler has had an especially good day when it's cold, he gets a hot chocolate as a treat.
according to my mom when i was little i used to drink foamed milk. I wasn't a chocolate fan. Its not exactly a new thing. Starbucks has it own their menu. Its just called steamed milk.
I lived in Munich last year and almost all the Munich cafes would make the "babyccinos" for kids.
Also, I started drinking coffee and tea when I was four. I think in a lot of countries it's just not a big deal. Honestly, a little bit of natural caffeine in coffee or tea is probably an improvement over artificial fake fruit juice for kids, y'know?
Plus, in medieval times, kids drank beer 'cause the drinking water wasn't safe.
The 'babyccino' (also known as a 'fluffy') has been in cafes in Australia and New Zealand since the mid 90s. It's always been just milk foam (i.e. no actual liquid milk, just the creamy, frothy foam scooped off the top of a jug of steamed milk) with chocolate sprinkled on top if requested. The decaf cappuccino and the steamed milk ideas must be a Brooklyn variation. I've never seen it Down Under and I've been a barista and/or a frequenter of cafes for the past 15 years. I can't imagine a child actually drinking coffee (even decaf), and steamed milk doesn't seem as much fun as fluffy, dense foam with chocolate on top.
Any cafe/coffee shop in the UK (OK, London) will serve foam – or warm milk with foam – and a few chocolate sprinkles, often for free. Gives the kiddies something to do while I'm getting my fix.
my kids were raised on irish babychinnos
Now you say something