We’re not exactly on the same level of psychic as The Simpsons when it comes to predicting the future, but sometimes we do get a “feeling”. Or maybe we just got lucky. When Suntory launched their flavoured water transparent tea last November, we were wondering if transparent coffee would be next. And we were right!
Asahi, which just happens to be one of Japan’s most popular beer distillery, has just released a Clear Latte, turning the popular milky brown drink into a transparent version. Not only does it not have any colour, the Clear Latte is also said to be fat-free and zero-caffeine (coincidentally how we would describe water too). The coffee-flavoured beverage also contains whey – a clear by-product of milk – and espresso extracts for the coffee taste. All you caffeine addicts might wonder; what’s the point of having a zero-caffeine coffee?
Not all of us takes to caffeine that well, and this caffeine-free drink will also allow those sensitive to caffeine to enjoy the taste of coffee. We can also imagine how handy this drink can come when we just want to chill with a good coffee but also want to be able to sleep at night – we’ve all experienced sleepless nights because of too much caffeine.
Coffee-flavoured water
If you’re wondering what to call this beverage, Asahi labels the bottle as ‘natural water’. It’s a bit ironic to call coffee-flavoured water natural, because we would do anything to visit that hot spring. While we haven’t tried the Clear Latte yet, a lot of people in Japan has flocked to the store to try it.
The transparent milk tea was refreshing with a milky taste without the milky consistency, and didn’t leave behind a strong aftertaste. According to reviews online, it looks like the Clear Latte is the same, except it is coffee flavoured – both drinks are based on milk and probably would have the same diffusion process. Coffee usually leaves behind an after taste that could be anything from nuttiness to bitterness, but the Clear Latte is a refreshing drink that leaves no aftertaste. Even though you can taste the milk, the Clear Latte still feels like you’re drinking water. Considering that coffee and tea might cause you to become even thirstier, this coffee-flavoured water is a pretty clever solution to hydrate yourself while still getting your coffee fix.
If you’re talking about getting your caffeine fix, you’ll have to stick to your normal coffee – and Japan’s convenience store carries plenty of those already.
It always pains us whenever Japan gets all the cool stuff (which is pretty much almost every day), but we are always clinging to the hope that said stuff gets popular enough to be brought to our little sunny island. After all, it only took about two weeks for Suntory’s Premium Morning Tea to be available in stores here, and we hope that the Clear Latte will follow suit!
Asahi Clear Latte, ¥124, is available at most convenience stores in Japan
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