8 Over-The-Top Latte Art Designs
Latte art has the ooh-ahh factor for coffee that craft ice has for cocktails. Intricate designs depicting delicate rosettes, hearts, and swans — all made from the careful manipulation of hot milk foam in espresso.
Poll baristas on the secret to this edible art form and they'll no doubt tell you the same thing: it's all about the foam. Milk (preferably whole) steamed piping hot to form a compact, velvety microfoam. But this is by no means an exact art, and as the demonstrations below illustrate, creativity is key.
Lions and tigers and bears! Literally. This barista shows off some serious artistic skill, designing everything from cute panda and kuala bears to a lion, and even including barnyard friends like a pig and bunny.
How do you make a poisonous creepy-crawler non-threatening? Illustrate it in milk foam, of course. And for something a little cuter, there's always this smiling lady bug.
The furry feline may not sound like it makes for complicated latte art, but the careful attention to detail in this design, from the whiskers down to the facial expression, takes it to the next level.
Animals and flowers seem to be popular items in the barista's latte art design repertoire, so this depiction of an Indian chief is definitely unique.
You might not think it possible, but with the help of some thoughtfully-placed foam and chocolate syrup the iconic landmark comes to life in the cup.
Apparently submitted as part of a home latte art competition, this haunting design would be perfect for a spooky caffeine pick-me-up next Halloween.
Latte art goes industrial in this demonstration. The technique seems relatively simple and straightforward, but the effect is impressively clever.
The bird's large, majestic wings make this design a showpiece. A similar method is used to make the body of another mythical creature, the dragon.