This Iconic Rhody Menu Item is Going Mainstream

Photo courtesy of Dunkin.

While Rhode Island is home to several iconic delicacies (sure, some have called them weird, but we don’t need to acknowledge the unenlightened), perhaps none are more recognizable than our official state beverage: the incomparable coffee milk. It’s long been a dinnertime drink staple for most who grew up in the Ocean State (myself included), in large part thanks to local coffee syrup makers Eclipse (founded in Warwick) and Autocrat (by way of Lincoln). We’ve never been able to get enough of the stuff, and now it’s caught the attention of bigger powers that be.

On Wednesday, coffee company giant Dunkin’ introduced the Dunkalatte, a brand new, limited time menu item featuring the key ingredient of — you guessed it — sweet and creamy coffee milk. According to Dunkin’s release, the drink blends its rich espresso with a mix of whole milk and the company’s in-house coffee extract, resulting in, “an ultra-smooth drink that sips like a latte and tastes like a melty milkshake.”

Say less, we’re in.

(I also must butt in here though to point out that this new development has the potential for both greatness and disaster. Maybe introducing the beauty of coffee milk to a wider audience will make it more readily available outside of our tiny state. Or maybe it will cause a national coffee syrup craze and shortage. It’s a risk we’re going to have to take.)

While Dunkin’ hasn’t divulged exactly how long the Dunkalatte will remain on the menu, it’s safe to say you will most likely have a few months to give it a try as the drink is making its debut amongst the fall flavor lineup, which also includes the return of the pumpkin spice signature latte, pumpkin cake donuts and the maple sugar bacon breakfast sandwich. For more information about the Dunkalatte and Dunkin’s other offerings, visit dunkindonuts.com.