- Black coffee is the calling card of third wave coffee – no milk, no sugar
- A 2024 survey shows only 18% of Americans prefer to drink their coffee black – a 56% decrease from 2022
- The Gen Z “little treat” culture is changing coffee, putting sugar back on the menu
BLACK coffee has long been the drink of choice for the serious coffee aficionado – taking no milk or sugar is nothing short of a badge of honour for most specialty coffee drinkers.
But this once-beloved beverage is losing its allure among younger consumers. Gen Z, in particular, is turning away from black coffee in favour of more creative and indulgent alternatives.
A 2024 survey reveals a marked decline in the consumption of black coffee among Americans, with only 18% of them preferring to drink their coffee black – a 56% decrease from 2022.
It seems Millenials and Gen Z now prefer coffee drinks where coffee serves merely as an ingredient rather than the star of the show. The 2024 National Coffee Data Trends Specialty Coffee Report shows 24% of American coffee drinkers aged 18-24 had an espresso-based beverage compared to 20% having a traditional coffee.
“Young people are drinking less black coffee,” says Gustavo Cerna, a coffee professional with more than 20 years of experience in Coffee Farming and Risk Management. “They’re drinking more espresso-based beverages with flavours, and looking for customisation.”
For Gen Z, black coffee has become, quite simply, boring. Why settle for a plain cup of coffee when you could have something more adventurous and visually appealing? This generation’s coffee preferences reflect a desire for new experiences and a penchant for the novel and the colourful.
In the specialty segment, beautiful customised cold brew coffees with cold foam and purple “Ube” lattes have become attractive to Gen Z Instagram and TikTok users.
Fancy coffee drinks, such as iced caramel macchiatos, matcha lattes, and pumpkin spice lattes, have become the go-to choices. The market has responded accordingly: brands like Starbucks and Dunkin’ have introduced a plethora of sugary, flavour-infused coffee beverages that appeal to younger palates, including non-coffee drinks.
Coffee is no longer the base; it’s an element of a larger, more elaborate concoction.
The trend is also evident on social media platforms like TikTok, where videos featuring elaborate coffee drinks often go viral. Whipped dalgona coffee, iced lattes with colourful syrups, and even coffee-based milkshakes have taken over the platform. These creations, often loaded with sugar, milk, or flavoured syrups, make black coffee seem pedestrian by comparison.
Gen Z consumers are looking for their coffee to be an experience, not just a morning pick-me-up. Black coffee, once seen as the epitome of sophistication, now seems outdated, especially when set against the backdrop of a generation that favours fun and experimentation.
A rejection of “serious” coffee culture
The decline in black coffee’s popularity among Gen Z can also be seen as a cultural shift away from the coffee norms established by Gen X and Millennials.
These older generations, who built and refined the specialty coffee movement, often saw coffee as something that should be taken seriously.
Many specialty coffee shops still pride themselves on their rigorous standards, often refusing to serve milk or sugar to preserve the “purity” of the coffee. In these spaces, asking for milk or sugar could earn a disapproving look, or worse, a dismissive comment.
Some examples includes US coffee shop Oddly Correct, Aunty Peg’s in Melbourne and Kontact Coffee in Budapest, where baristas have been known to gently (or not so gently) educate customers about the importance of tasting coffee in its unadulterated form – shunning sugar, milk and cream.
This approach, however, has faced backlash. Critics argue that such practices are exclusionary and represent a form of gentrification that makes specialty coffee inaccessible to people of different social and economic backgrounds. The emphasis on “serious” coffee culture has been criticised as snobbery, alienating those who prefer their coffee with a splash of milk or a spoonful of sugar.
For Gen Z, a generation known for its activism and commitment to breaking down social, economic, and racial divides, such elitism does not sit well. They reject the notion that coffee drinking should be a serious affair.
“Gen Z are all about experiences – seeing what the new flavour is, the new trend, the new social media star collab,” says Gustavo. “The new generations appreciate less the coffee, and more the experience.”
Instead, they embrace a more inclusive, fun, and laid-back approach, where everyone is free to enjoy their coffee however they like. In this context, black coffee, with its association with an older, more rigid coffee culture, is often seen as “cringe.”
Sugar is sweet, and so is Gen Z’s coffee culture
The rise of sugary coffee drinks among Gen Z reflects broader changes in this generation’s attitudes toward food, health, and consumption. Dairy and plant-based milk companies are losing market share – but sugar is trending up.
The 2024 NCA Report finds that past-day usage of sweeteners in coffee had risen in January 2024, with 52% adding sweeteners or syrups to their coffee – up 7% since the year before.
Unlike Millennials, who were often characterised by their adherence to health trends and wellness fads, Gen Z is more inclined to view food and drink as part of a balanced lifestyle that includes both healthy choices and indulgences.
The popularity of sugary coffee drinks aligns with a general trend among Gen Z of seeking out sweet, comforting treats. This could be rooted in Gen Z “newstalgia” – taking an interest in popular (often sugary) foods from the ‘80s and ‘90s, likely due to their parents sharing their own childhood favourites with their kids.
Sugar is trending up, not just in coffee but across various food and beverage categories, as this generation embraces a “treat yourself” mentality.
“More sugary drinks and indulgences are trending up with young people, and brands are aggressively catering to this trend” says Gustavo. “I think new generations are drinking coffee earlier than previous generations because sugar and flavours become a more accessible entry point. They go from drinking sodas to drinking coffee or tea-based drinks with sugar or added flavours.”
Social media plays a significant role here, with platforms like TikTok and Instagram driving trends and promoting coffee drinks that are as much about aesthetic appeal as they are about taste. The more colourful, creative, and indulgent the drink, the better.
Budget constraints also come into play. Many Gen Zers are students or early-career professionals who may not have the disposable income to spend on high-quality black coffee beans. Sugary, flavour-packed drinks offer a more affordable way to enjoy a coffee experience, often costing less than a single-origin pour-over at a specialty café.
Moreover, Gen Z tends to prioritise experiences over material goods. Coffee, in this context, is not just a beverage but an experience—a chance to try something new, share on social media, and enjoy with friends.
In this cultural landscape, black coffee—once the domain of serious coffee aficionados—is losing ground. That isn’t to say that it won’t come back.
“Once these people start hitting their thirties and forties, they’ll have to come back to black coffee because it’s going to be very hard to keep drinking these sugary drinks at that rate,” says Gustavo.
For Gen Z, coffee is less a morning ritual and more a creative canvas, a sweet treat, and a community experience.
The reign of black coffee is being eclipsed by a new wave of colourful, sugary coffee concoctions that are redefining what it means to enjoy a cup of coffee, and what is socially acceptable in coffee.
Coffee Intelligence
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