Did you know that you can even find gourmet flavoured coffee in your local market these days? Anyway, what IS gourmet flavoured coffee? Well, gourmet coffee generally speaking consists of an ordinary style of premium ground coffee with one of more non-coffee flavours included to help accentuate the taste of the coffee and its bouquet as well. Putting it bluntly, it’s a high-grade coffee with special flavours added. What does that mean for you when you’re trapped at home? You can do it yourself if you have the correct “bits and pieces”. If you are really set on doing this, you need to do some basic research to discover what’s required, where to find them, how to prepare them and – obviously – how to make the optimum blends. Of course, right here on the Internet is not a bad place to start looking for the information you need. If you are a label-reader, that’s another way to discover what’s in that stuff that you like best. Just read the labels on the packages of whatever it is you like best at the local store and even the local coffee shop.

When you have decided what flavours you want to instill in your coffee, get all the contents together for the grand occasion. You might choose French vanilla, almond schnapps, cassis, banana cream liquor, the good old standby, chocolate, walnut, and whatever else appeals to your taste buds. Just a small amount, perhaps applied with an eyedropper, and your normal (although still special) coffee becomes something extraordinary. The amazing change that comes from these additives is the reason that most people who have tasted flavoured coffee can never revert to the standard product.

What is described above is not the only way to acquire special flavours in your daily coffee. For example, you could throw a vanilla bean in with the coffee when you are grinding it, or a small piece of cinnamon bark. Other possibilities are to add a drop or two of some essential edible oils to your coffee, or some powdered product (cacao comes to mind), or your favorite flavoured liqueur, or even a little Bailey’s Bristol Cream. The changes will be almost miraculous.

When you’re making up larger quantities of flavoured coffee, you need to be aware of some limitations on storage. If the flavouring is resistant to deterioration, then your can safely store the mixture for some time in a Mason jar or similar air-tight container. Others – particularly fresh components – need to be consumed within a day or two at the most. Some people store their mixtures in the refrigerator, and some even in the freezer, although many think that reduces the impact of the special flavours. Others just store in in tightly closed containers on the shelf.

The real advantage you have in mixing your flavoured gourmet coffee yourself is that you can experiment without having it cost you the earth in coffee house bills. Not only that, at home, you are limited only by your imagination, and all that at an affordable price. One other thing is that you are not restricted to only one additive – you can make combinations like peaches and cream, or chocolate and cherry liquor. Many people have discovered their own special favourites at home, and your guests will be amazed at your inventiveness, and perhaps fall in love with some of your house specialties.

The main thing is that you enjoy your own products and also inventing the new ones to test out. Gourmet coffee and flavoured coffee will never be the same for you again!

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