SCA and Square report reveals Canada’s preferred beverage is still the latte

The Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) and point-of-sale software Square’s 2018 Square Canada Coffee Report has revealed the latte is still the most popular coffee in Canada. The beverage was particularly popular in the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Nova Scotia. The americano, or long black, was the drink of choice in British Columbia, Manitoba and Ontario. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador preferred drip coffee and Yukon, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories were undecided. The flat white and cortado are quickly gaining popularity, with sales increasing 81 and 97 per cent respectively. “In the past year, the cortado and flat white have taken Canadian coffee shops by storm as the fastest-growing coffee beverages,” the report says. “For International coffee drinkers, these menu items are old news. But here in the true north, we're just catching on to these low-milk coffee concoctions.” Cold brew is also gaining momentum, with sales outpacing iced coffee by 85 per cent throughout the summer. Almond milk remains Canadian’s preferred dairy alternative, with soy milk a close second. Both alternative milk sales remained steady in the past year. The most expensive latte in the country was found in Alberta, costing C$5.43 (approximately $4.24). Manitoba was found to have the most affordable latte, at C$3.70. British Columbia was home to the most expensive drip coffee, at $3.28. October was found to be the busiest month for coffee shops in Canada, with Christmas being the slowest day of the year, as many coffee shops are closed.