The Brooklyn Paper just sent shockwaves through the Internet with the revelation that Brooklyn coffee shops are serving off-menu “babyccino” drinks, which are essentially tiny decaf cappuccinos–or in some cases, just cups of steamed milk and foam with a pinch of cinammon. But the Brooklyn baby brigade playing catch-up: baristas in Australia have been serving babyccinos for a decade and they are so popular that coffee shops down under list them on the menu. And kid coffee has already taken off in Manhattan, according to Brooklynian xlizellx, who works in the East Village: ”The number of kids coming in to school in the morning with a vegan scone and a latte–It’s insane,” she says on the Brooklyn message boards.
“Freaking ridiculous,” replies NTFool. “I miss my beloved East Village of yore, in which kids coming in to school had mohawks and heroin jitters.”
Coffee shops in Park Slope, Fort Greene, and Prospect Heights have all confirmed that kids and parents alike are demanding babyccinos. The venues in question include Sit and Wonder on Washington Avenue, and sister shop Bittersweet in Fort Greene; co-owner Gemma Redwood says they started selling the $2 drink off-menu in response to customer demand. Other shops admitting to the practice include Cafe Regular in Park Slope, and Root Hill Cafe in Gowanus. But Sean Chin of Gorilla Coffee in Park Slope told the Brooklyn Paper it “annoys the hell out of me” when customers ask for it, he and seems steadfastly against making the baby drinks.
