A caffeinated drink should always do more than wake you up—it should set a scene, build a mood, and morph into its own muse. Here are five drinks that are actually stories, wrapped in nostalgia, stirred in whimsy, and poured in aesthetic. One day, they’ll be on the menu of my own café (which will naturally turn into a bar once night falls). Until then, they’re yours to try à la maison.

Note: The word “milk” is used in the broadest sense; feel free to use any version you prefer.

1. The Chill Guy (cold)

Some drinks are meant to be complex, but this isn’t one of them. An effortless go-to that establishes your nonchalant air—no fuss, no drama. It’s just cold foam on cold brew; extra chill. 

• 1 scoop of ice
• 8 oz cold brew
• 3 oz cold foam (½ cup cold milk + your personal syrup dosage)

Pour cold brew over ice, then crown it with a generous layer of cold foam. Sip, relax—you’re just a chill guy. 

2. Lovebirds Latte (cold/hot)

Inspired by the delicate balance of black tea and espresso common in Hong Kong culture, often woven into the cinematic world of Wong Kar-wai, this latte creates a bittersweet harmony reminiscent of a slow-burn that never quite satiates your desires. 

• 4 oz strong black tea
• 1 double shot of espresso 
• 4 oz milk (steamed for hot version) 
• 2 oz condensed milk
• ½ tsp honey
• Ice (for iced version)

Strain the black tea after brewing, then whip it with the condensed milk and honey until foamy (or steamy, but let’s keep it PG-13). For the iced version, add ice, pour in milk, then espresso. For the hot version, combine espresso with the tea mixture before gently pouring in steamed milk.

This isn’t a syrupy-sweet indulgence, because longing carries its stings. Sip slowly, and let its depth pull you into the neon-drenched solitude of a quiet café-bar scene, where time lingers, hearts drift, and unspoken words fall into your cup, as if lost to the depths. 

3. #InnerChild (cold)

Inspired by sunlit childhood lunches and the comforting balance of sweet and savory, this latte reimagines nostalgia with a playful twist. Peanut butter melts into the espresso, grounding the drink with warmth, while berry-infused cold foam floats above, creating a dreamy contrast as familiar and irresistible as the first bite of a PB&J sandwich. 

• 1 scoop of ice 
• 1 double shot of espresso
• 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 6 oz milk
• 3 oz berry-flavored cold foam (aerate cold milk with berry syrup or even a spoonful of jam)

The key to this drink is to have fun with it. No syrup? Use jam! And never hold back on cold foam—it only makes things better.

For the best infusion, place peanut butter in the espresso cup before pulling the shot, allowing the heat to melt the peanut butter. Then, add milk into the cup with ice and pour the espresso mixture over it, eventually topping off the latte with a swirl of berry cold foam.

The final drink should showcase a gentle contrast: twinkling pink merging into earthy brown, like a handwritten letter exchanged between flavors. Drink slowly, let the peanut butter meet the berry foam like two old friends at a lunch table, bathed in afternoon light and ready for more lunchtime adventures. 

4. Bananaccino (hot) 

Pumpkin season may come and go, but banana bread season is forever. This drink is your dream Hufflepuff, the warm embrace you didn’t know you needed. Instead of relying on syrup, it draws its natural sweetness from ripe banana, which blends seamlessly with espresso, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and the velvety richness of steamed milk.

• 1 double shot of espresso 
• 2 tbsp mashed ripe banana
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 8 oz milk (steamed)
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg

Mix the espresso shot with mashed banana, stirring (or whipping) until smooth. Either blend the cinnamon and nutmeg directly into the banana-infused espresso or sprinkle them on top after pouring the steamed milk, which should be foamier than standard latte milk. For extra indulgence, finish with a drizzle of maple syrup—bonus points if you manage to sketch a tiny Snoopy.

Each sip is a slow exhale, a gentle reminder to savor life’s small delights: a warm drink, a niche film, and the unlikely triumph of banana in coffee. 

5. Pastel Potion (cold) 

This is the drink that keeps appearing in your Instagram feed—lush green swirling into soft pink, a quiet harmony of earthiness and lightness. The smooth, slightly bitter matcha dissolves into the airy sweetness of strawberry cold foam, capturing the first bloom of spring in a cup. Refreshing and delicate, it’s a breeze through cherry blossoms, a gentle dance of petals on still water. 

• 2 tsp matcha powder 
• 2 oz hot water (not boiling!) 
• 1 scoop of ice 
• 8 oz milk (for matcha)
• 2 oz milk (for cold foam) 
• As much strawberry syrup as you’d like 

Please take sifting and whisking the matcha seriously—clumps have no place in a drink this tender. Use steady motion to create a fine froth, a surface as soft as morning light. For this iced drink, add ice, then milk, then matcha, stirring gently to let the colors bloom. Finally, pour the pink cold foam over the foresty matcha base and watch the pastel palette unfold like a watercolor gradient. Perfect for dreamers and soft moods—summon spring with every sip.

From the sunlit nostalgia of PB&J to the cozy chaos of banana bread, the peanut-buttery indulgence that shouldn’t work but lowkey does, and the matcha that tastes like a soft daydream—these drinks will satisfy your inner barista and convince you that, despite the mess that is early adulthood, life is still a little dance. So go ahead, romanticize your existence, one overly complicated homemade drink at a time.