Babycinos, a Drink for Babies
Photograph from t1mmyb on Flickr
At the bakery/cafe/lounge Buzz in Alexandria, Virginia, babies (and baby-ish age range) can get a kick-start on their fancy $4 coffee addiction.
According to a press release:
Kids can now enjoy their very own coffee bar beverage with Buzz’s new Babycino. The child-friendly concoction is caffeine-free, and made with cold regular or chocolate milk served in a 12-ounce cup, and topped with frothed foam and a drizzle of homemade chocolate sauce for $1.
So basically it's just milk with stuff on top. "Babycino" was new to me, but actually has entries on both Wikipedia and Urban Dictionary. Do babies really care? Don't they just want bottles and juice boxes?
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
20 Comments:
The other day we had a big family get together which of course meant food and then after the meal coffee for the adults who wanted.
One 4 year old cousin had a 'white coffee' in the same mugs the adults had their regular coffee. His 'coffee'? Hot chocolate. But he was drinking like the adults and as far as he was concerned, that was all that mattered.
Kmelion at 7:51AM on 10/17/08
Remember 'tea parties'? Where you sit down with all your stuffed animals and dolls and pretend to serve tea in the best British fashion with imaginary perfectly cut little sandwiches and pastries even though you may only be four years old?
I do. :)
Children want to be grown-up, till they are.
Which reminds me the accompanying photo startled me this morning as I thought it was a picture of my own head (as a child) - the same color hair.
Which is another reason why kids want to grow up. So that they can escape the nicknames their cohorts force on them like "Red". I can still hear the ringing sounds of "Hey Red!" and it still makes me want to throw a tea sandwich at them.
foodvox at 8:11AM on 10/17/08
At Joe, we call them "kiddiccinos".
Allison Hemler at 8:26AM on 10/17/08
Cute kid. When in doubt, pinkie out!
victorylow at 8:46AM on 10/17/08
I grew up drinking cafe con leche for breakfast. When I started kindergarten I refused to drink the milk they gave us cause it had no coffee in it. Took a couple of years for me to get over my disgust with plain milk.
redfish at 8:46AM on 10/17/08
A local coffee shop in my town serves Vanilla Steamers, steamed and frothed milk with vanilla syrup. I simplified matters (and made things healthier) at home by treating my 4-year-old to steamed and frothed vanilla soymilk. He thinks it is as much of a treat as hot chocolate.
sarahbeam at 8:54AM on 10/17/08
I wish kids still just drank strawberry Quik like I did.
worldcupfever at 9:02AM on 10/17/08
That's one unnecessarily expensive and small hot chocolate.
Laurel E at 10:03AM on 10/17/08
or, chocolate milk, rather.
Laurel E at 10:03AM on 10/17/08
When I was little my mom would give me warm milk with just enough coffee in it to make it coffee colored. I was thrilled because it made me like mommy. My kids love decaf chai tea in fancy tea cups, even my boys. It's fun for kids to get to play grown-up every once in awhile. Besides everything tastes better when served in fine china.
LizSherman at 10:12AM on 10/17/08
Cafe Au Layette....
When my sister and I were, ahem...having "tummy troubles" (preview of universal female issues to come), my mother always made us cafe au lait--heavy on the steamed milk--to speed things along. I know, the milk sounds counterintuitive, but a little hot caffeine is simply a wonder drug.
I have no problems with giving my own toddlers the same concoction--in fact, I'd vastly prefer it to the post-sugar, hot chocolate milk meltdown.
Sure, if we were at Buzz, I'd let them give the babycino a whirl--as long as their pinkies stayed DOWN.
HappyHoarfrost at 10:23AM on 10/17/08
Sounds redonkulous. First off, my toddler (all of 20 months) loves coffee and would be upset that there is no coffee in her coffee. On top of that, Rhode Islanders have been enjoying coffee milk for years, so at a minimum the steamed chocolate milk should be replaced with coffee milk...
seadkdc at 11:01AM on 10/17/08
i had asthma as a kid, so as early as 6 years old i would drink hot black coffee to help alleviate symptoms. still take it black.
my nephew absolutely loves drinking the cappucino foam from my brother's cup though.
i don't think a dollar is that expensive for it? if it cost more than a buck, then i might agree.
gastronomeg at 11:15AM on 10/17/08
Now I'm confused. Is it $4 or $1? Maybe I should have some coffee...
Laurel E at 11:39AM on 10/17/08
The first time I had coffee I was 7 or 8 and asked my mom for a cup. She added a lot of milk and sugar (which she didn't use herself but assumed I would want). I thought it was digusting and complained it was too creamy and sweet. So as a joke, she said "well, you won't like it black!" and poured me a small cup. Joke was on her; I've loved it black ever since... It's only been as an adult that I find I'm starting to like very dry cappuccinos with a little foam.
rheogs at 11:48AM on 10/17/08
@Laurel E: Only $1 for the Babycino, but if they like saying "cino," it could turn into a $4 habit in the future (frappuccino, cappuccino). Regardless, it's fun to say!
Erin Zimmer at 11:57AM on 10/17/08
I just realized that's actually very very cheap for 12 ounces of milk, especially considering the labor that goes into the chocolate and then steaming the milk. (Really we're talking cents, but milk is super expensive.)
Allison Hemler at 1:59PM on 10/17/08
Thanks Erin. So I retract my statement, a deal it is! But agreed, expensive habits could follow..
Laurel E at 2:16PM on 10/17/08
When I used to work at Starbucks, we would make small vanilla steamers (steamed milk and vanilla syrup) for kids for a discounted price - I think it was $1 or so. The kids definitely liked getting their own special drink just like their parents. I wonder if they still do that there - it was never on the menu, but if you asked we would do it. Maybe it was just that one Starbucks.
ScienceandtheCity at 5:57PM on 10/17/08
I know a three-year-old who is particularly thrilled when she gets to order her own babycino. I think ithe drinks is a glorious idea - although you do sometimes see waitstaff operating in automode and giving a couple of sachets of sugar to go with each beverage, even the babycinos... Which also makes you wonder how kiddie-conscious they've been in making the drink to begin with.
Sanna at 12:47AM on 10/20/08