When I was in highschool it was my dream to open up a coffee shop on the Appalachian Trail! I may not be a certified trail barista... but, over the past 4 years I've certainly worked on perfecting my morning goats milk latte! Mainly, for my own benefit. But this last trip I was able to consistently make the same latte every morning... which means.... it's time to share it with you!
The supplies for your goats milk latte:
- Fresh coffee grinds! My personal favorite is Stumptown's New Seasons blend. That's what made the cut for this past trip! Any bold or rich grind will do.
- Dehydrated Goats Milk. I buy this one from Whole Foods. It's my personal favorite!
- I use sucanat for sweetener on the trail. At home I like to use honey. But again, weight and mess wise sucanat is a lot easier. If you're a stevia person that works too!
- A kettle or pot to boil water in
- A tiny whisk! I LOVE bringing my tiny whisk on the trail! Whip up some real foam out there. I use the smaller version in this set.
- A backpacking stove. For years my husband and I used the MSR whisperlite and it has been a good stove. We recently switched to this sweet heck of a deal Amazon stove that our friend recommended and we LOVE it. Way less hassle... no priming... it does seem to use more fuel though.
- and... last but not least... your coffee contraption!! I've tried THREE different backpacking coffee contraptions over the years... and this one's the winner!! GSI Outdoors Ultralite Java Drip. HOWEVER, if you're making this at home... use the bialette all the way. I actually have taken this on a few trips... but it's just too heavy.
So, like I said... I tried bringing the bialette on trips but it was just too heavy. Rich brought this sweet Filipino coffee maker (pictured below) back with him after spending 3 months in the Philippines to start up a coffee shop business. I used this for a few years and it honestly was great! Light weight, made decent coffee... but I could never get it strong enough. I think the filter was just too big.
.... but man oh man... i finally bought this GSI ultralite outdoors java drip sucker! Holy smokes! I've even been using this at home! It's a legit delicious cup of pour over coffee out on the trail!! Barista Leafy is back in business! Also, this past trip I brought my Yeti mug with me (which was a super sweet bridesmaid gift from my friend, Anna!) and it was sooooooo worth it. Slightly heavy... but in the mornings I'm usually multitasking. So to be able to have my coffee stay HOT even after I made breakfast, cleaned up the dishes, packed up my hammock, and filtered water was a dream! #worthit
How to make your backpacking latte:
First step of the morning is to somehow convince yourself that it's okay to get out of your warm sleeping bag and into the cold. :) (PS - filter water the night before for breakfast and coffee!! No matter how tired you are at night... it'll be worth it in the morning).
Second step, boil some water! For this particular breakfast we also had to boil potatoes... So Rich ended up getting boiled potato water for his coffee! ha (not recommended).
Third step, prep your mug and coffee filter. When the water boils, use your best pour over technique... and WahLah! Coffee is brewed!
Fourth and final step, add your goats milk, sucanat, and WHISK the heck out of your latte to get your best bet at foam in the woods. I was actually complimented on my whisking technique this past trip :P I'll get a video next time!
BACKPACKING GOATS MILK LATTE RECIPE
For each latte:
- 3-4 TBSP coffee grinds in your coffee filter (I used FOUR!)
- 1-2 TBSP dehydrated goats milk powder (I prefer 2 TBSP and it's pretty creamy)
- 1 tsp sucanat (more or less to your taste!)
The trick is to brew the coffee STRONG since you don't actually have espresso. The second trick is to be a pro whisker! Everything else is pretty basic!!
Oh, and as far as clean up - SO easy. Put the grinds in your trash bag you plan on packing out and rinse the filter inside out.
ENJOY! I certainly enjoyed having this goats milk latte to go on day 3 of our trip in Yosemite! :)
