March 7th is National Cereal Day, and what better way to honor this classic morning meal than with a cereal milk coffee recipe! Who can deny the fact that cereal milk can be a yummy, if not exciting, addition to your morning coffee?
For our cereal milk coffee recipe, we turned to our friends at EverLou Coffee Co in Durham, NC. In addition to their creative coffee drink menu, we love that this oat milk-based shop has built their space around lifting those up in their community. We chatted with Tori Partin, EverLou's Director of Community Engagement, about what inspires them and the reactions they have received about defaulting to oat milk. Scroll down for our conversation with EverLou Coffee.
EverLou's Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal Milk Coffee Recipe
- Soak Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal (or any cereal, get creative!) for an hour in oat milk
- Once properly soaked, strain the milk to separate the cereal
- Brew your coffee as you like it
- Add 1-2 pumps of vanilla syrup
- Add the cereal milk
- Top with some cinnamon for an extra kick!
Bonavita: We love EverLou's focus on community, inclusivity and diversity. What was the impetus in creating such a welcoming space that gives back to your community?
Partin: For us, the community focus is a big part of our shop. Being business owners is a privilege and we want to acknowledge that privilege by pulling up and surrounding ourselves with people, causes, and organizations who don’t always get that opportunity. Sometimes it’s hosting events for local dog rescues, sometimes it’s creating a special themed menu for Drag Queen Story Hour (a Drag Race theme called “Can I Get An Amen(u) that I’m still very proud of), or holding space for houseless members of our community. If we are lucky enough to have a business, we want to share the wealth however we can.
Bonavita: Tell us a little more about why you chose to default to oat milk for your lattes?
Partin: As default oat milk drinkers, we wanted to give people the chance to try it! When it’s automatic, the amount of people who say “I’ve never tried oat milk - let’s do it!” and then continue to drink it is so fun to see. We’re also believers in the taste. A lot of our drinks and flavors just taste better with oat. And by making oat our default, it also gives way more people access to our fun drinks without having to worry about dietary restrictions. We still have whole and almond milk in shop for people who want something different. We try to make sure everyone is comfy when ordering their drink.
Bonavita: Can you share the story behind Evelyn and Mary Louise, the inspirations behind the name EverLou?
Partin: Evelyn and Mary Louise are the matriarchs of our family. They are both very different women, with different histories and lives, but both are strong and were the brains behind their families. Evelyn never met a stranger and was always the first person to offer the mailman a soda, a sandwich, a chat about his day. While Mary Louise went back to school, changed careers, and became a powerhouse in the non-profit sector after a divorce and raising her kids.
