What is cloud coffee? How to make the internet's favourite summer drink

Move over, dalgona. Cloud coffee is the internet's latest caffeine obsession, bringing pillowy foam, café-worthy aesthetics and refreshing sips to summer.

This season, it’s all about thick, pillowy foam floating over a chilled coffee base. Meet cloud coffee, one of the season’s standout drinks!

Cloud coffee is floating its way into everyone's summer routine.

Social media has helped fuel the cloud coffee craze. Videos on the trend have amassed hundreds of thousands of views, with clips crossing 8,00,000 views. Meanwhile, at-home tutorials continue to draw thousands of likes, as users recreate the café-style drink in their own kitchens

Customise it your way

The beauty of cloud coffee lies in how effortlessly every layer can be customised.

You can opt for a classic iced latte, smooth cold brew, bitter espresso tonic, protein coffee or even a matcha-coffee blend.

The real standout is the foam cap. Keep it classic with vanilla sweet cream, salted caramel, pistachio, espresso or chocolate cold foam, or venture into bolder flavours with spiced chai, earthy matcha, and colourful botanicals like purple ube and butterfly blue pea.

Fruity twists, including mango, banana, strawberry and blueberry milk foams, add a refreshing touch.

For a tropical turn, try coconut water coffee topped with coconut cream foam to balance a fresh vibe with the caffeine kick

How to make it

• Fill a glass with ice and pour in your chilled base, such as espresso mixed with milk.
• Froth ¼ cup of cold milk or heavy cream until thick, airy and soft-peaked.
• Gently spoon the velvety foam over the coffee to create the signature cloud layer and enjoy.

(Written by Vibhuti S)