Business & Tech
A Blender, Some Beans and Ice: Who Makes the Best Frozen Coffee Drinks in Lincoln-Way?
To prepare for summer, our taster tried blended coffee drinks from three area shops this week.
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In summer, we often want our caffeine fix cold, but sometimes Coke just isn't going to cut it. For times like this, a blended, icy coffee drink does just the trick. But where should you go?
, Mokena
Behind the counter at Front Porch is a wide array of flavored coffee powders that are mixed with ice and milk to make blended coffee drinks (you can add an actual shot of espresso for an upcharge). It's kind of like paying $3 for the General Foods International Coffee drink that you could make at home. Still, the drink has a nice vanilla flavor (although not much for coffee flavor) and is very refreshing. If I go back, I will probably spring for the espresso shot for extra caffeine and flavor with my sugar rush.
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The good: Front Porch stocks a wide variety of flavors to custom make the perfect blended drink for each customer, like having your own personal dessert in a cup.
The bad: Unless you ask for an espresso shot, the drink is a lot of flavor and not a lot of coffee.
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, Frankfort
I've had lattes, hot chocolate and brewed coffee from Dunkin' many times and have always found their beverages to be tasty, so I was blown away by how absolutely awful the French Vanilla Coolatta was. In fairness, I did pass on the whipped cream, but I really don't think that it could possibly have helped. The first few sips tasted a bit like really sweet coffee, but after that it was full-on artificial vanilla flavor that tasted like I can only imagine perfume or aerosol hairspray might taste.
The good: Dunkin' Donuts sells brewed coffee.
The bad: Everything about their Coolatta was horrifying.
, New Lenox
Although it wasn't on the big board, I ordered a café vanilla Frappuccino (that word belongs to Starbucks, by the way). They put whipped cream on it without asking me (the first two places asked and I declined) so I made sure to taste the drink before the whipped cream got mixed up into the rest of it. Athough there was a hint of chemical flavor to the vanilla, the drink wasn't overpoweringly sweet and actually had some coffee flavor.
The good: A blended coffee drink that's cold and refreshing, and still actually has some coffee flavor.
The bad: There's just a hint of a weird aftertaste.
THE WINNER: The Frappuccino at Starbucks. But with the espresso shot, Front Porch's blended drink may have taken the lead.
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Next week, we're tasting omelettes. Which breakfast joints in Frankfort, Mokena and New Lenox should we try?
