What is a Frappé?

As the summer sizzles, the streets come alive with people clutching their icy coffee delights, which could possibly be the iconic frappé.

This delicious drink is typically made by blending coffee, ice, milk, and sweeteners. The coffee can be instant, brewed, or espresso, and the milk can be any type, including alternatives like almond, soy, or oat milk. Sweeteners such as sugar or syrups are often added to taste, and optional flavourings like vanilla, chocolate, or caramel can enhance the drink. The ingredients are blended until smooth and frothy, creating a creamy and invigorating treat perfect for a hot day.

Served tall and proud, adorned with whipped cream and delightful toppings, a frappé is a visual and flavourful treat. It is traditionally made with coffee, but it doesn’t have to be! Some are made with tea, juice, and even hot chocolate.

The ‘café frappé’ made its debut in the mid-19th century, showcasing a range of textures from slushy-like to Iced Coffee variations. However, the frappé really kicked off in 1957 at the Thessaloniki International Fair in Greece. The story goes that a Nestlé® representative was demonstrating an instant chocolate drink for children with a chocolate base that was added to milk then shaken in a shaker. With no hot water in sight, they ingeniously mixed instant coffee with cold water and ice cubes, resulting to the modern frappé you now know. This version of the frappé is still incredibly popular in Greece today and you can find it in most coffee shops across the country.

Frappés vary widely depending on where you are in the world, adding a delightful element of surprise to every sip. In Greece, if you ask for a frappé expect a couple of tablespoons of instant coffee, sugar, water, and optional milk, which is then shaken for that signature frothy layer.

If you’re in Bulgaria, don’t be surprised if it’s served with a soda instead of water. Denmark on the other hand, substitutes the water for milk whereas Serbia serves the frappé with milk or ice cream and freshly whipped cream on top. However, Boston takes a unique twist, where it’s actually a milkshake made with ice-cream and is simply pronounced like ‘frap’.

As a frappé lover, you may have thought that you know your beverage – but oh are you in for a surprise!

The confusion between frappé and frappuccino is a common coffee conundrum, but they are worlds apart! So, let’s break it down. The difference between a frappé and a frappuccino lies in their origins, ingredients, coffee-making process, and flavour profile.

Originating from Greece, the frappé is a popular Iced Coffee drink that became widely known in the 1950s. The frappuccino, on the other hand, is a trademarked product of Starbucks®, introduced in the 1990s and inspired by the frappé.

The frappé is traditionally made with instant coffee, water, sugar, and ice. Milk or cream may be added (which can be alternated with a non-dairy product), and it is often topped with foam. Whereas with a frappuccino, it typically includes brewed coffee or espresso, ice, milk, and various flavourings such as syrups or sauces. It often features whipped cream and toppings like caramel or chocolate drizzle.

When it comes to the coffee-making process; for the frappé, the ingredients are blended or shaken vigorously until frothy. The instant coffee, water, and sugar are mixed first, creating a foamy base, then ice and sometimes milk are added. For the lovely frappuccino, the ingredients are blended together to create a smooth, icy texture. Starbucks® uses a base mix that includes coffee or espresso, milk, ice, and flavourings. This is then topped with whipped cream and additional toppings if desired.

A frappé can have a wide range of flavours depending on the type of coffee used and any additional flavourings. It tends to be sweeter and creamier due to the inclusion of sugar and milk. Whereas an iced coffee retains the flavour of the brewed coffee, with any added sweeteners or flavourings complementing the coffee taste rather than masking it.