Milk is a key ingredient in many coffee beverages. Drinks like lattes and flat whites are popular around the world, with the former being the most ordered espresso-based drink in the US according to the NCA’s 2024 National Coffee Data Trends report.

Although plant milks have certainly grown in popularity over the past few years, for the most part, cow’s milk has been the go-to option for global coffee consumers. With its undeniable creamy texture and rich flavour, many consider it the perfect accompaniment to coffee.

There has been, however, little innovation in the dairy industry in recent decades, especially in comparison to the rapid diversification of plant-based options. In response, a small but growing number of dairy companies have prioritised quality and consistency. So with specialty coffee also sharing similar values, could “innovative dairy” be the next big trend in the industry?

To find out more, I spoke to Dominika Kowalska, two-time Polish Barista Champion, and Luca Lee, co-founder of MILBOK.

You may also like our article on why coffee shops need to focus more on milk quality.

The growth of plant milks – but dairy still remains on top

Over the past few years, it’s been hard to ignore the rise of plant milks in specialty coffee, particularly oat milk. 

As consumers have become more environmentally and ethically conscious (especially younger generations), there has been a significant shift in dietary habits, including more people following a vegan lifestyle. According to The Guardian, an estimated 79 million people in the world identified as vegan in 2021.

The plant milk market has also diversified in recent years, with more options available than ever before. But even with the surge in popularity of non-dairy options, cow’s milk has remained a staple on coffee shop menus.

Dairy’s rich and creamy mouthfeel is unmistakable and often difficult to replicate, making it a favourite among coffee consumers in many countries. Data from a 2020 Specialty Coffee Association report found that 91% of drinks ordered in US coffee shops included dairy – and this number has remained stable in the following years.

There has, however, been little innovation in the dairy industry over the past few decades. It can be challenging to maintain consistency with cow’s milk as the compounds (i.e. fat and protein contents) can vary significantly across different farms and brands for several reasons, such as:

• Animal welfare and health and safety standards
  • For example, milk with a low somatic cell count means the cows which produced it are in good health
• The diet which cows are fed
  • Grass-fed cows raised using organic practices tend to produce more nutrient-dense milk
• Processing methods (i.e. pasteurisation and homogenisation)

These inconsistencies between different milk brands can have a major impact on overall beverage quality. So given specialty coffee’s strict focus on consistency and quality, more and more dairy companies have started to innovate and strive for the same high standards.

The push for innovation in the dairy industry

In response to the growth of the plant milk market, the dairy industry has started to innovate and push for higher quality. This has been most noticeable with the development of barista-formulated cow’s milk – similar to “barista edition” plant milks that have become widely used in coffee shops. Essentially, companies process milk in different ways to enhance its richness and creaminess, and often use a higher protein-to-fat ratio so baristas can pour better latte art.

It’s fair to assume that coffee competitions, such as the World Barista Championship, have influenced this shift. In recent years, more and more competitors have started to experiment with their milk beverages. For instance, 2022 World Barista Champion Anthony Douglas used cryodessicated milk in his winning routine to double the concentration of sugars, fats, and proteins.

Dominika Kowalska is a barista and a two-time Polish Barista Champion, and competed at the 2024 World Barista Championship in Busan, South Korea. She explains why it’s so important for both competitors and coffee shops to use quality milk.

“High-quality coffee shouldn’t be wasted on low-quality milk,” she tells me.

How the Asian market is leading the way

In addition to focusing on quality, a growing number of dairy brands have looked for new ways to improve food safety, nutritional value, and shelf life of their milk products. 

The Asia-Pacific market in particular has been leading this charge. With dairy consumption in this region increasing rapidly in the last few years – particularly in China – companies have been driving innovation. 

As consumers demand higher-quality milk products, there has been an increasingly bigger focus on enhancing flavour and texture, as well as minimising the dairy industry’s environmental impact – including reducing carbon footprint and improving animal welfare.

Many specialty coffee shops in Asia now also offer a variety of dairy options to appeal to different consumer preferences, helping to shape other global coffee markets.

Luca Lee, co-founder of innovative Asian dairy brand BeFood, explains more.

“I noticed an urgent demand for better quality milk from baristas in my neighbourhood in Beijing,” he says. “Despite a wide selection of cow’s milk on the market, baristas claimed that none of them consistently performed well when used with coffee, or had consistently high protein and natural sugar contents.

“In response, BeFood introduced MILBOK – the first ‘Double Milk’ specifically designed for coffee and tea – in 2019,” he adds. “Inspired by freeze distillation, this innovation allows baristas to enhance the quality of milk beverages with a naturally sweeter and creamier milk that also has a higher protein-to-fat ratio. Currently, over 20,000 specialty coffee shops in the Asian market use our milk.”

Focusing on milk quality remains essential

There are many factors to consider when talking about milk quality. But for coffee shops and baristas, the most important is to understand more about how the ratio of macronutrients impacts the consumer experience.

“A higher protein content helps create thicker and smoother microfoam that holds its shape better for pouring latte art,” Dominika says. “A higher amount of protein also contributes to a fuller and richer mouthfeel, and can also enhance sweetness.

“Similarly, a higher fat content adds to the creaminess and mouthfeel, and can mellow out bitterness,” she adds.

Dominika explains that because MILBOK has a consistently optimised 5g protein to 5.5g fat ratio in every batch, it’s easier to pour high-contrast latte art every time. In comparison, cow’s milk typically contains between 3.4g and 3.8g fat and 2.9g to 3.5g protein, which can vary depending on the batch or brand.

She adds that she chose MILBOK for her milk beverage course in her 2023 WBC routine because of these reasons. Prior to her decision, she says she faced the challenge of trying to freeze-distil milk herself.

“Finding MILBOK was game-changing,” she says. “Using it in my routine saved hours of planning and preparation so that I could focus more on practice and training.”

Better consistency for coffee shops

Milk quality, however, extends much further beyond coffee competitions. Based on the NCA’s 2024 National Coffee Data Trends report, past-week consumption of specialty coffee in the US increased the most for espresso-based drinks, with many of these beverages also including milk.

“Through working closely with coffee professionals, we realised that processing plays a crucial role in milk quality control,” Luca explains. “Baristas want a pure, clean taste with consistent steaming and foaming performance, and this all depends on maintaining an optimal protein to fat ratio. 

“This has often been overlooked by the dairy industry, as non-coffee consumers typically don’t demand such consistency,” he adds. “For specialty coffee, however, it’s vitally important so baristas can achieve the best results.”

So what does the future hold?

Specialty coffee prides itself on quality and professionalism, so as innovation in the dairy industry continues, we are sure to see higher-quality products launch on the market. 

While alternative milks have garnered significant attention, many coffee drinkers still generally prefer the natural sweetness and creaminess of cow’s milk. In turn, baristas and coffee shop owners need to pay as much attention to the quality of the milk they use as they do with their coffee. 

Moreover, with health and wellness becoming more of a priority for coffee consumers, there is a growing need to meet these demands. Using higher-quality milk is certainly a big part of this – especially in the wake of rising concerns about the negative side effects of drinking oat milk.

To cater to growing demand, dairy products like MILBOK contain no thickeners, stabilisers, artificial ingredients, or colouring agents, and its manufacturing process ensures each batch has the same nutritional content.

Specialty coffee can only gain from focusing more on milk quality. There are many different brands for coffee shops to choose from, but focusing on consistency is essential.

As the dairy industry continues to grow and innovate, we can expect to see more high-quality options available in coffee shops across the world.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how much microfoam milk-based beverages should have.

Photo credits: European Coffee Trip, MILBOK, @kawowyjanusz, Specialty Coffee Association, World Coffee Events

Perfect Daily Grind

Please note: MILBOK is a sponsor of Perfect Daily Grind.

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