When news broke this month that Starbucks was launching its Flat White beverage in U.S. stores, coffee addicts everywhere were eager to try the new drink yet slightly bewildered over its contents. What exactly is a Flat White, anyway? And would the Starbucks version live up to its oh-so-raved-about Aussie counterpart?
According to Jeff Chatlos, co-founder of the Boston-based Flat Black Coffee Co., the two just aren’t the same. “As you might imagine, fast food and slow food are quite different,” Chatlos tells me. “Anytime a fast-food behemoth offers a product that typically requires an artist’s hand, with the consistency to satisfy the sheer volume of a national market, something of the quality is always lost,” he notes.
Chatlos, who co-founded the coffee shop with David and Jennifer House, tells BostInno that he and the founders always shared a desire for great coffee. And in 2002, after what he describes as “a decade long drought of fine coffee in Boston,” they decided to re-introduce single origin fine specialty coffee to the Hub.
“My partners spent some time in Australia as we were creating the concept, and discovered that Australia takes its coffee culture very seriously,” Chatlos tells me. “When Jen and Dave began describing flat whites and long flat blacks to me, we decided to offer Australian-style high quality espresso drinks, with our moniker reflecting that homage.”
Fast forward a few years and the coffee company is now Boston’s largest independent chain of specialty coffee sellers, and the only fully Boston-based roaster, retailer, and wholesaler of fine specialty coffees. Not to mention – it’s a great place to find an authentic Aussie-approved Flat White.
The beverage, described by Starbucks as “an espresso beverage made with two ristretto shots, combined with a thin layer of velvety steamed whole milk and finished with a latte art dot,” sounds similar to a latte. But there are differences.
Chatlos notes that “Flat Black’s Flat White drink is a stronger version of the latte” and notes that “in keeping with America’s thirst for options that include tiny to large sizes, and honoring Australians’ near-fanatical enthusiasm for great espresso drinks, Flat Black’s Flat White maintains the proper ratio of espresso to milk as the size of the drink increases.”
Unfortunately, the Starbucks version of the Australian drink seems to have fallen flat with Aussie coffee drinkers, according to BrandChannel. And it’s been downright confusing to most American coffee drinkers – as evident by BuzzFeed’s recent article. BrandChannel also points out the overall irony in Starbucks’ expansion of their Flat White drink to the U.S., stating that the coffee chain can’t even “get enough Australians to visit its shops Down Under.” BuzzFeed also notes that Starbucks was forced to close 60 of its stores in the Australian market back in 2008.
Without addressing Starbucks directly, Chatlos tells us that Flat Black is grateful to that ‘big company’ for introducing America to Italian espresso culture on a massive scale. “They paved the way for smaller, artisanal shops like ours to do it better and attract a more discerning customer.” The founder adds that Flat Black considers mimicry to be the highest form of flattery.
“But,” Chatlos states, “we will continue to attract the more discerning customer.”
If you’re looking to try Flat Black’s version of the drink (and compare it to the recently launched Starbucks beverage), check out one of their six Boston-area locations.
Flat White image via Flat Black Facebook
