A local cafe might’ve just transformed the way we drink coffee.
Coffee flights took TikTok and Instagram by storm recently. Buzz around the trend is on the rise as shops revamp their menus. Taken from the traditional – and deemed classier – wine flights, the experience allows the customer to sample multiple flavors of a desired drink.
Many small businesses and beloved coffee shops in Austin have taken this trend to a new height, offering not only traditional coffee drinks like lattes, but incorporating unique flavors.
The locally owned East Austin coffee shop and bakery, Cafe Corazon, opened in January 2024. It offers an array of sustainably produced specialty coffee and pastries.
“We thrive on creating a loving and caring environment in our tiny coffee shop while supporting our community/UT family,” Cafe Corazon said in an Instagram post.
Last month, they offered a limited edition Valentine’s Day themed latte flight. This included four 10 ounce speciality drinks, paired with small treats for each cup.
The drinks featured:
- Strawberry rose white mocha with freeze-dried strawberries
- Dark raspberry mocha with cocoa powder dusted chocolate
- Rose honey latte with mini sugar cookies
- Cherry vanilla latte with mini sugar cookies
Due to high demand of the trending menu item, Cafe Corazon posted on their socials a list of need-to-knows for customers when ordering– no flights would be made an hour before closing, only 30 flights would be available per day, wait times would be around 15-30 minutes.
Customers could choose from hot or iced drinks. I chose the Valentine’s Day flight to review it for this purpose.
Pro-tip was getting there early. I went to the shop shortly after opening around 7 a.m., and there was only one person in front of me. Parking was difficult as the shop is on the corner of two streets, so I suggest parking on the street for a short period.
The unique blend of flavors with the espresso was a perfect mix of sweet and bold. My personal favorite was the strawberry rose white mocha. It tasted exactly like a white chocolate covered strawberry without being overpoweringly sweet.
The cherry vanilla was ultimately my least favorite because of the clash of espresso and cherry. I know it’s some people’s cup of tea, but to me, cherry tastes better in soda.
With Cafe Corazon being so close to campus, it’s attracting a fair amount of caffeine-craving students, more than just myself.
Anna Builta, senior public relations major, woke up bright and early at 7 a.m. to get her hands on a flight when the shop opened.
“I must say, the cookies on display looked significantly better (than on the flight,)” Builta said. “(I) Will be coming back to try those and definitely for a full size of the strawberry rose.”
While the Valentine’s Day themed flights brought more attention to the business, the idea of flights is not new to the cafe. In November, they offered classic fall flavors for their hot or iced latte flights, and the cafe isn’t stopping there. On March 4, they announced their new selection – “March Madness” – of speciality coffee for flights, which include:
- Pistachio mocha
- Margarita lime latte
- Irish cream
- Fireball cinnamon
According to their Instagram, the flight is inspired by a St. Patrick’s Day theme. They also introduced new matcha lattes, the pistachio lavender matcha and the strawberry rose matcha.
But, is Cafe Corazon the only coffee shop doing this?
UT Austin students are lucky enough to have franchises near and throughout campus that are offering this unique coffee experience.
Lucky Lab Coffee Co., a staple across UT, offers coffee flights at their flagship location located on San Antonio Street and 25th Street. Accompanied with outdoor and indoor seating, the cafe is packed with students.
Starting as a small coffee truck in 2015, the company now has multiple locations throughout the Austin area. At their flagship location, ordering flights is made simple. You pick four drinks off their seasonal or regular menu to create your own tasting deck of coffees.
The shop offers many house-made syrups, like “Longhorn Brulee,” a blend of white chocolate and mint.
If you love their customized flight drinks and need more fuel, Lucky Lab has multiple locations inside campus buildings, including two at the Moody College of Communication and one at the Jackson School of Geosciences.
“As cliche as it sounds, we’ve never looked back and have now become the new home to many of the local West Campus students, pups, faculty, neighbors and those alike to our location for the past six years,” said Lucky Lab’s website.
Whether it’s a coffee shop close to campus, or something you dream about trying after you see it on Instagram Reels, coffee flights have likely flooded your mind at some point. Why not try it out?
