To say that you've never seen a string of letters appear on a cup of joe is to reveal that you've never given your name to a coffeehouse barista, immediately following your order, over the last two decades.
Of course, that particular, ever-popular method of writing has a knack for appearing on the outside of the cup, in a blank space, traditionally, and not within the liquid or foam found within.
Carrera Cafe of Melrose Boulevard is changing up the coffee-writing dynamic by placing both script and/or image on the inside of the cup, not the outside, and the eatery is not limiting it to just your name.
Thanks to the shop's ability to print a whole quirky range of images and sentiments onto latte foam, you could walk away with a beverage that has your dad's high school senior portrait atop it or a photo of your goldfish or your catchphrase, if you have a catchphrase.
Surely you do, or should.
This sippable snapshot technology comes courtesy of the Ripple Maker, "a wi-fi enabled countertop device" that takes only a matter of seconds to put a photo onto foam. LA Magazine revealed in a June 5 post that the straight-from-the-future device can also print upon the top of a cup of tea, too, if leaves are your jam (and not beans).
The upshot? Foam should be involved, regardless of the liquid below it.
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How to make this caffeinated artwork happen? It all starts with you nabbing the Coffee Ripples app, which allows you to pick the pic you want, upload it, and then share it with your friendly Carrera Cafe barista.
Carrera Cafe also has some choices on hand, if you want to have something zingy and Instagrammable atop your latte but aren't quite sure what.
Perhaps an inspirational quote, to kick your day into high gear? Or maybe a photo of another cup of coffee, to make it all the more meta?
Take a peek at the West Hollywood-based café's Instagram for ideas, if you're suddenly feeling the pressure to create a peak coffee art experience. Flamingos, the LA skyline, and lip-mark kisses have all found foamy expression in the recent past.
And are drinks the only thing on the menu? They are not. A whole line-up of savory subs tempts, as do a roster of hearty salads.
Which leaves us with one question: When will the salad photo imprinter finally take its place on restaurant counters everywhere? Is some lettuce-loving inventor working on that right now? Dreams.
