There are some things that just shouldn't go together, like peanut butter and pickles, or like Buffalo sauce and coffee. However, that didn't stop Tim Hortons from debuting its new Buffalo Sauce latte at the restaurant's Buffalo, NY, locations. Made from freshly brewed espresso, steamed milk, mocha, and bold Buffalo sauce flavor, the latte is topped with whipped topping and a dusting of zesty Buffalo seasoning," a press release from Tim Hortons said of the beverage. That's right, Buffalo sauce lattes are real and not a prank, and based on the reactions posted to Twitter from the brave souls who tried this ill-conceived beverage, many people wish they weren't. "
Generally, people don't drink coffee with their Buffalo wings, so mixing coffee and Buffalo sauce together in a cup seems pretty counterintuitive. However, the coffee and doughnut chain decided that since Buffalo sauce debuted the same year as the restaurant, the pair needed to get together and have a baby. Because two great things always go great together.
"Tim Hortons and buffalo sauce were both born in 1964, so why not take these two Buffalo staples and combine them?” Stephen Goldstein, regional president of Tim Hortons U.S., said in the press release. "The unlikely pairing of sweet mocha and tangy Buffalo sauce come together to create an unexpectedly delicious sweet and spicy treat we hope our guests will enjoy." But, enjoying guests are not.
People wasted no time coming up with their Buffalo latte jokes.
Because, Buffalo sauce and coffee should never enter the body at the same time.
This combination was definitely not dreamed up by a Mad Men-esque advertising dream team.
While many people were horrified about the unholy mix of hot sauce, whipped topping, and coffee, some Tim Hortons devotees (of which there are many across the U.S. and the chain's mother Canada) vowed to give the latte a try. Because, YOLO.
If you're dying to get your hands on a steaming cup of Buffalo sauce, the Buffalo Latte starts at $2.79 and will be offered at two Tim Hortons Buffalo restaurants while supplies last. If driving to Buffalo to sample this oddity doesn't feel like a good use of your time, Eater reporter Greg Morabito tried the Buffalo Latte and wrote a breakdown of its pluses and minuses, giving the Buffalo Latte a 6.5 rating on Eater’s brand-new Ridiculous Novelty Beverage Scale. Here's what you need to know.
Morabito gave the Buffalo Latte "+ 3 points for repulsive flavor combinations + 2.5 points for boldly riffing on a beloved food in its birthplace + 2 points for looking like a member of the PSL family, but tasting like poultry + 2 points for containing both “Buffalo sauce flavor” and “zesty Buffalo seasoning” + 3 points for the fact that it’s not hard to imagine Justin Bieber drinking one of these."
On the flip side, Morabito penalized the drink for the following: "- 2 points for relatively modest presentation (some more colors or a squiggle of goo could have nudged this into the plus category) - 1 point for standard Tim Hortons packaging/branding - 3 points for not leaning into the conceit hard enough. Where’s the blue cheese element? How about some celery salt, or even a celery stalk? Maybe throw in a Wet-Nap to complete the picture?"
While the Buffalo Latte may not appeal to you, fear not that the beloved Canadian chain has completely forsaken its southern neighbors. Tim Hortons also recently launched a new espresso line-up featuring premium, handcrafted espresso beverages including lattes, Americanos, and cappuccinos — each available hot or iced. Latte flavors include caramel, vanilla, mocha, and pumpkin spice. There is absolutely zero Buffalo sauce in any of these drinks, which are now available at participating restaurants in Buffalo and Jamestown, New York, with remaining cities rolling out the new menu items through December.
