Welcome to the May Café Session, friends! We’re cruising through spring, and I’ve got to say—May has been pretty kind so far. The weather’s been warm but not unbearable (yet), and we’ve had some great afternoon storms rolling through. Honestly, is there anything better than falling asleep to the sound of rain and thunder after a long day?
In this month’s session, we’re diving into some classic café conundrums—like how to stop oat milk from doing that weird curdling thing in your hot coffee (you know what I’m talking about), and which topics actually come up the most during coffee shop chats. Spoiler: it’s not always about coffee. And while I hate to mention it… yeah, the Rockies are already making us wince. But more on that later. For now, grab your favorite brew, find a comfortable spot, and let’s dig in.
I PREFER OAT MILK IN MY COFFEE, BUT IT TENDS TO CURDLE WHEN I PUT IT IN. IS THERE A WAY TO PREVENT THIS?
Oh jeez—I've dealt with this so many times over the years that it essentially boiled down to a battle of the oat milk brands. I still remember the first time it happened: I served a cortado in a glass, and the steamed oat milk didn’t exactly curdle, but it flaked up as soon as it hit the espresso. The guest told me it was “normal,” but I still felt weird about serving it. It just looked... off.
Turns out, there's a science behind it. The temperature and acidity of coffee—especially lighter roasts, which tend to be more acidic—can cause the proteins in oat milk to denature and clump together. That’s what creates that curdled or flaky appearance. Strangely enough, if I used that same oat milk in an iced latté—where the milk isn’t steamed—it wouldn’t curdle. No flakes, no weird texture.
After seeing this happen again and again, I started testing different brands to find one that would behave consistently across both hot and cold drinks. The best I’ve found so far is Chobani’s creamy oat milk. It steams beautifully for cappuccinos and doesn’t curdle when poured into espresso—regardless of whether it’s hot or iced.
The thing is, when you steam and froth any milk (dairy or plant-based), you’re actually changing its molecular structure. In dairy, you're caramelizing fats into sugars, which gives that sweet, velvety froth we all love. With oat milk, the proteins are suspended in a water-based solution. When you heat it, those proteins can separate and form little clumps—especially in the presence of acidity.
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, because it depends on the oat milk and the coffee you’re using. So if you're struggling with curdling, the best solution is to experiment: find an oat milk that pairs well with the roast you regularly drink. Once you find your ideal combo, your cortados (and your nerves) will thank you.
WHAT TOPIC WOULD YOU SAY YOU TALK ABOUT MOST IN THE COFFEE SHOP? ARE THERE ANY CONVERSATIONS YOU TRY TO STAY AWAY FROM?
The golden rule in most coffee shops is to steer clear of religion and politics—but that’s actually a bit ironic, considering coffeehouses were originally created for those kinds of conversations. Back in the day, they were gathering places for intellectuals and spirited debate. (If you’re into that history, we actually wrote about it HERE).
Still, in today’s world, hot-button issues can be tricky to navigate. While it’s impossible to avoid current events completely, most of the conversations I have lean more toward sports, weekend plans, or whatever’s trending in pop culture. Lucky for me, the regulars at Rise know I’m a bit of a sports nut. They’ll swing by for coffee and stay for a quick update on whatever I spent too many hours watching over the weekend—it’s like a mini version of water cooler talk, but with better espresso.
I do get the classic “Are you watching any good shows lately?” a lot. And while I try to keep up, unless it’s airing on ESPN, I’m probably out of the loop on which housewife is desperate or who got eliminated from the latest dating island. But if you want to talk NBA playoffs, who’s got home court advantage, or the stat breakdown from last night’s game, I’m your guy.
For instance, at the time of writing this blog, the Colorado Rockies are off to the worst start in the history of baseball. Granted the Chicago White Sox set that mark just last year, but the Rockies are on pace for the worst statistical season since the late 1800's. We should have taken the snow storm on opening day as an ominous foreshadowing of the season to come after so many years of bright and sunny opening days. At Enterprise Coworking, we always kick off baseball season on the rooftop patio with grilled ballpark classics. This year, the grill was mostly helpful for keeping warm while the snow came down.
The truth is, if you work in coffee long enough, you become a professional conversationalist. You learn to find common ground in just about anything. The weather is always a safe bet—and believe me, we’re keeping tabs on it constantly to make sure you're prepped for whatever Denver throws your way next.
