I work at a small cafe in Connecticut, where we have limited flavorings in an attempt to keep the style of coffee as traditional as possible, and we do not often stray away from the norm.

Anyways, people always come in and order something with French vanilla flavoring, whether it be an espresso based drink or just plain drip coffee. More often than not, they're people that I don't recognize, and might I mention that this place has many dedicated repeat customers. It also seems like they aren't the coffee-savvy type. We don't have a French vanilla flavoring so I mix hazelnut with vanilla, and people seem to enjoy it. Out of curiosity I researched what exactly french vanilla is. What I found was that french vanilla is a style of ice cream, and that French vanilla flavoring versus vanilla flavoring has a deeper, richer scent and flavor. So my question is, are there ways to make a french vanilla flavoring? because hazelnut + vanilla must be incorrect. Constructive criticism greatly appreciated.

French vanilla has a more "custard" taste. What makes French vanilla ice cream French, is egg yolks; and the commercial syrups mimic the flavor. As a DIY, you probably can't.

If you're going to fool around with straight vanilla, you might try making your own extract with a cognac or aged rum base, and adding it to simple syrup. It's easy, relatively inexpensive, tastes great, and looks very upscale.

Amoretti, Da Vinci, Monin and Torani all make French Vanilla syrup. Amoretti, Da Vinci and Torani also make sugar free versions.

Routin costs more, might be better or might not. Quai Sud Epiciere de Provence makes a very expensive vanilla syrop (not French vanilla) and bottles it very, very attractively. Display counts.

It seems as though you have a "For what shall it profit a man" aversion to using flavoring syrups. Constructively, get over it. The stakes aren't that high.

While I sympathize and agree, it's probably a good idea to just go ahead and buy a few bottles of French Vanilla syrup from whichever manufacturer whose label already graces your shelf, and use it to please your customers. Speaking ex cathedra, you can use one more flavor of syrup and hold on to whatever's left of your soul.

Well, most of it.

Good luck,
BDL

We use monin syrups here and I checked their website again and it appears that they have a French vanilla flavor so I'll add that to the inventory list. And was there any preparation involved with the rum?

+1 on BDL's fine reply. For the cafe, get yourself a bottle of Monin and forget the rest. Your troubled soul may henceforth sleep soundly, secure in the knowledge that anyone requesting such a concoction will be wholly unable to discern the Monin from even the very best home-developed-at-great-cost-and-effort syrup made from seeds and pith scraped lovingly with the back of a bone knife from fresh Madagascar vanilla beans and infused in ancient alcools.

Besides, maybe you would run afoul of some state laws concerned with alcohol content - who knows, especially considering that long recent thread regarding the banning of espresso sales to minors.

connor3452 wrote:And was there any preparation involved with the rum?

Place a dozen good vanilla beans in a 750ml bottle of aged rum or good but inexpensive cognac (Raynal, for instance); cover and set aside for six weeks. If you have to remove a little bit of liquid from the bottle to get the beans in, dispose of it appropriately. Set aside for six weeks.

After the tincturing period, decant the extract into bottles of convenient size. Or make vanilla syrup, by mixing the extract with simple or agave syrup, bottle in an attractive container, and add a fresh vanilla bean or half bean -- for show -- as the bottle size allows.

Meanwhile add four fresh beans to the original dozen, and make another 750ml bottle of extract.

Homemade extract is only about half as strong as commercial.

Most homemade vanilla extract is made with vodka, which is -- of course -- more neutral. The type and quality of riotous spirit you choose has a great deal to do with the taste of the extract.

BDL