Plant-based drinks are dairy alternatives for cow milk, made on the basis of nuts, cereals and legumes. Due to a common purpose, they are often colloquially called "plant milks". These products are especially important for vegans and people suffering from allergies or food intolerances, excluding the consumption of dairy products.

Given the rise in popularity there are now many brands on the market, some with lower quality ingredients to meet lower price points, and some higher quality and higher price points.

JAVA Coffee Roasters is the distributor of three higher quality plant-based drink brands : Minor Figures, Sproud and Rude Health. JAVA became distributor back in 2016 when we discovered how well they complement coffee and invite new taste sensations. They are truly loved by baristas and connoisseurs. Among the most popular among our client base are Sproud (pea), Minor Figures (oat), Rude Health (coconut, rice and almond).

So pick a vegan coffee recipe and enjoy your daily caffeine boost in style!

Plant-based drinks and caring for the planet

Did you know that by choosing plant-based drinks you also choose a ritual which is much less harmful to the environment than the large-scale operation of traditional dairies. During this process, much less water is used and greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by up to 3 times. Ruminants require grazing on ten times the area of land from which we would get the same amount of plant-based drink. Finally, livestock takes up nearly 80% of global agricultural land, yet produces less than 20% of the world’s supply of calories. Go figure! 

What are the most popular plant-based drinks?

Among the most popular and most frequently chosen plant drinks, there are those made of soybeans, oat grains or rice, coconut or almonds - classic and roasted. At JAVA we have seen a huge demand in Sproud, a pea based plant based drink, which we believe is closer in both taste and texture to daily milk. Pea also has more protein than the peer group.

Plant-based drinks - what to choose?

When choosing a dairy alternative choose quality ingredients, contain protein and taste great. Many of the plant based drinks JAVA offers have won GREAT TASTE awards. For frothing you want a plant based drink with a good fat content i.e. over 2.5%. Steer away from alternatives which have been excessively sweetened.

Plant based drinks - composition

Plant based drinks are famous for their health properties, mainly due to the fact that they do not contain animal fats. These products provide fibre, vegetable protein, and are also enriched with calcium, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Always read the small print on the side of the container.

Where to use plant-based drinks?

Plant-based drinks have many uses in the kitchen and perform well as a dairy alternative. They will be an ideal addition to dishes or desserts, you can use them for porridge, puddings, cakes, pancakes, cocktails and many more. Plant-based drinks can also be consumed as a stand-alone drink. It is also a great addition to coffee, especially for people who love white coffee the most and are eager to learn new flavours. It is important that coconut or almond milk significantly change the taste of the drink - for some it will be an advantage, for others it will become a disadvantage. The taste is neutral pea, oat, soy or rice milk.