What Coffee & Tea People Are Actually Drinking in 2026

Walk into any café right now and the menu looks a little bit like a mood board: bright colors, unexpected flavors, and drinks that feel more like an experience than a quick caffeine fix. At 23rd Street Coffee, we live for this stuff. Here’s your guided tour through the biggest coffee and tea trends of 2026, why people love them, and how you might want to order (or make) them next.

1. Banana Coffee & Banana Matcha: The Internet’s Current Obsession

Banana has officially joined the coffee and matcha party, and TikTok is mostly to blame. Banana coffee usually means chilled espresso or cold brew blended or shaken with banana, milk, and a bit of sweetness. Think of it as a lighter, breakfasty spin on a frappe. It’s creamy without needing heavy cream, and the natural sweetness from banana means you can dial back the sugar.

Banana matcha hits a similar vibe but leans greener and earthier. The grassy notes of matcha play surprisingly well with ripe banana, softening any bitterness and turning the drink into something that tastes like a smoothie and a tea latte had a very chill baby. If you’re banana-curious, start with an iced version and ask for it lightly sweetened so you can taste the actual tea or coffee underneath.

2. Hojicha Lattes: Roasted, Cozy, and Suddenly Everywhere

Search trends don’t lie: hojicha lattes have quietly become one of the sleeper hits of the year. Hojicha is a roasted Japanese green tea, which gives it a toasty, nutty, almost caramelized flavor with very low bitterness and relatively low caffeine.

In latte form, hojicha is like the tea version of a campfire story—warm, comforting, and a little nostalgic. It’s fantastic hot with oat milk, but equally good iced with a drizzle of honey or brown sugar. If matcha has ever felt a bit too grassy for you, hojicha might be your gateway into Japanese teas.

3. Protein Lattes: Your Morning Coffee Just Joined the Gym

Starbucks data backs up what we’ve been seeing behind the bar: people are loading their lattes with protein. Protein lattes typically combine espresso with a flavored or unflavored protein shake or powder. The result is a drink that hits caffeine, flavor, and satiety all at once.

For anyone who tends to “forget” breakfast, a protein latte can be a helpful bridge. Look for bars that offer clean-label protein options, or DIY it by shaking your favorite vanilla protein with chilled espresso over ice. Pro-tip: avoid super chalky powders and watch the sweetness level—your latte is still allowed to taste like coffee.

4. Mushroom Coffee: The Functional Powerhouse

Mushroom coffee isn’t new, but 2026 is the year it went fully mainstream. These drinks usually blend coffee with extracts or powders from functional mushrooms like lion’s mane, reishi, or chaga. The goal isn’t to make your latte taste like a pizza topping; it’s to add potential benefits like focus or stress support while keeping a familiar coffee profile.

Most mushroom coffees taste like a slightly earthier version of your usual brew, especially when paired with milk or a bit of sweetness. If you’re mushroom-shy, start with a mushroom mocha or latte—chocolate and milk are very forgiving co-stars.

5. Loaded Teas & Tropical Passionfruit Sips: Colorful Energy in a Cup

Loaded teas have exploded on social feeds: vibrant layers, fruit flavors, energy tea bases, and often added vitamins or supplements. They’re the tea world’s answer to energy drinks, minus the aluminum can. Expect neon colors, clear cups, and lots of ice.

Alongside them, tropical passionfruit tea is quietly becoming the order of choice at cafés in early 2026. Passionfruit brings bright, tangy, tropical notes that wake up black or green tea without being too sweet. Iced passionfruit tea with a splash of lemonade or coconut milk basically tastes like a vacation you can drink on your lunch break.

6. RTD Coffee & Tea: Convenience Finally Tastes Good

The ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee and tea aisle has grown up a lot. In 2026, it’s not just sugary bottled frappes and mystery “iced tea” anymore. You’ll find cold brew made from single-origin beans, subtly sweetened milk teas, sparkling tea tonics, and plant-based lattes with ingredient lists you can actually pronounce.

RTDs are booming because people want café-level quality without having to, you know, put on real pants. They’re also a great way to explore new styles—trying a canned oat milk vanilla cold brew or a jasmine green tea spritz can inspire what you order next at your favorite shop.

7. Ube & Coconut Drinks: Purple, Playful, and Comforting

When Starbucks leans into something, you know it’s hit the mainstream. Their purple, coconut-forward drinks helped bring ube into the spotlight. Ube is a Filipino purple yam with a subtly sweet, vanilla-meets-nutty flavor that happens to look stunning in a glass.

Ube and coconut are a natural duo: coconut milk enhances the dessert-like creaminess while letting the ube shine. You’ll see ube-coconut lattes, ube cold foam over cold brew, and layered ube milk teas. If you’re a fan of horchata or taro milk tea, ube is your next crush.

8. Savory Coffee Flavors: Meet Miso Caramel & Sea Salt

Not every coffee trend is about more sugar. Savory-leaning flavors are having a moment, especially miso caramel and sea salt coffee. Miso adds a subtle umami depth to caramel sauces, making sweet drinks taste more complex and less cloying.

Sea salt coffee, popular in various Asian café cultures for years, is also popping up more widely. The combo of slightly salty cream or foam over sweetened iced coffee is addictive in the best way—it sharpens the coffee flavor and keeps your palate interested. If you usually order a caramel latte, try one of these next time and see how a pinch of savoriness can transform your cup.

9. Vietnamese-Style Coffees: Bold, Sweet, and Straight to the Point

Vietnamese-style coffee has stepped out of the “hidden gem” category and into the spotlight. Traditionally made with strong coffee (often robusta) slowly brewed over sweetened condensed milk, it’s rich, intense, and unapologetically flavorful. Iced, it becomes this perfect mix of punchy coffee and velvety sweetness.

You’ll see cafés offering Vietnamese-inspired iced lattes, egg coffees, and condensed-milk-sweetened cold brews. If you like your coffee to taste like coffee and dessert at the same time, this trend was made for you.

So, What Should You Try Next?

Here’s the fun part: you don’t have to pick a single “2026 drink” and stay loyal. Think of these trends as a tasting menu. One week you’re sipping a roasted hojicha latte; the next you’re boldly ordering a miso caramel cold brew or a banana matcha on ice.

At 23rd Street Coffee, we’re constantly experimenting with new ways to roast, brew, and pair our beans and teas with the flavors you’re curious about. Next time you stop by, ask us what’s new—or tell us which trend you want to try, and we’ll help you find your perfect version. Your new favorite drink might be the one you haven’t heard of yet.