A raspberry danish latte created by a small coffee shop in Northfield, Minnesota, has gone viral and is now being served in dozens of countries after the owners decided to give away the recipe for free. Little Joy Coffee, located in a college town about 45 minutes south of Minneapolis, posted a video in March showing how to make the drink, which costs $8 in-store but about $2.46 to make at home.
The shop's 'DIY or buy' video series aims to show customers the cost breakdown of their beverages. In the video, store manager Serena Walker jokingly advised viewers not to make it at home, instead inviting other coffee shops to 'steal' the recipe and add it to their menus. Owner Cody Larson initially doubted the idea, but hundreds of shops quickly signed up to be added to a map of locations serving the latte. The map has nearly 2 million views and includes pins on every continent except Antarctica.
Baristas from Little Joy even encountered the drink while on holiday in Dublin, Ireland. Larson said small coffee shops see each other as collaborators rather than competitors, with the real competition being large chains. 'It doesn't hurt us any if a coffee shop in California has the same drink as us,' he said.
The raspberry danish latte is a spring seasonal special and will not remain on the menu past the season. It has become the shop's top seller, surpassing standard lattes. The drink features house-made raspberry syrup, milk, a double shot of espresso, vanilla cream cheese foam, and two raspberries on a skewer. Little Joy does not vet the shops that sign up, and Larson acknowledges that variations in preparation are inevitable.
