We get asked what's in this one more than anything else on the drink board, usually in the form of "is the turmeric just for color?" It isn't, but the honest answer is more interesting than the marketing version.
The build
Four things, nothing hidden:
- Organic, locally roasted espresso. Roasted here in the region, not shipped in pre-ground.
- Organic mocha. The chocolate base.
- Organic whole milk. Steamed. Oat milk works and changes the texture more than the flavor.
- Laird's turmeric blend. The functional ingredient.
Why turmeric is paired with fat and pepper
Curcumin is the compound people mean when they talk about turmeric. On its own it absorbs poorly — most of what you swallow passes through without reaching your bloodstream.
Two things change that. Fat helps, because curcumin is fat-soluble, which is why turmeric shows up in drinks built on whole milk or coconut milk rather than water. And piperine, the compound that makes black pepper sharp, substantially increases how much curcumin gets absorbed. This is why turmeric blends so often include a little pepper — it isn't a flavor decision.
So a turmeric latte made with whole milk is not just nicer to drink than turmeric stirred into hot water. It's a meaningfully different delivery system.
What the research does and doesn't say
Here's where we'll be straight with you, because a lot of cafes aren't.
Curcumin has been studied a great deal, mostly for inflammation, and some of it is promising. But most of the positive research uses concentrated curcumin extracts at doses far beyond what's in a drink. The amount of curcumin in one mocha is small by comparison.
What that means in practice: drink it because it tastes good and because the spice-and-chocolate combination is genuinely pleasant. If you're looking for a therapeutic dose of curcumin, a drink is not how you'd get there, and anyone telling you otherwise is selling something.
That's true of most of the functional ingredients on our board. They're real, they're well sourced, and they're in food-level amounts.
How it tastes
Earthy and slightly bitter underneath the chocolate, with a warmth at the back that people usually describe as closer to chai than to coffee. If you find straight mochas too sweet, this is the one to try — the turmeric cuts it.
FAQ
Does a turmeric mocha have caffeine?
Yes. It's built on espresso, so it has roughly the caffeine of a regular mocha. The turmeric doesn't change that.
Can I get it with a non-dairy milk?
Yes. Oat milk is the most common substitution and works well here. Because curcumin is fat-soluble, a full-fat plant milk carries it better than a thin one.
Is turmeric in a latte actually good for you?
It's a genuine ingredient in a food-level amount, not a supplement dose. The research showing anti-inflammatory benefits generally uses concentrated extracts well above what any drink contains, so enjoy it as a good drink rather than as medicine.
What else on the menu has functional ingredients?
Several drinks use them — ashwagandha root, performance mushrooms, maca root, and spirulina all appear on the board. Each is in a food-level amount, same as the turmeric.