What is flat red coffee and where does it come from?

Who invented flat red?

Combining coffee with fruit juice is popular in many parts of the world, especially in some Asian countries. However, the flat red is somewhat of a signature drink and has a unique history.

Vadim told me that he has been serving the flat red dish in his cafes – as well as at some local festivals in Ukraine – for some time. Unfortunately, Vadim had to temporarily close Coffee in Action following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and now focuses on supplying Ukrainian soldiers with coffee brewing equipment.

“I've been playing with the flat red recipe and experimenting with the drink base for several years,” he says.

In 2016, interest in the drink began to grow after Vadim finished competing in several coffee tournaments in the UK and Ukraine. He told me that Japanese car manufacturer Lexus had approached him to collaborate on developing a premium coffee service setup for the launch of its new car range in Ukraine.

Inspiration for flat red

As part of the collaboration, Vadim created a signature drink to represent each car, but he says the Lexus NX was a particular inspiration to him. Vadim told me that the juxtaposition of the car's white exterior color, Flat Red, and deep red, led him to create Flat Red – a play on flat white.

“I wanted to create a new type of drink because I didn’t want to add milk to it,” he says. “Basically, a flat red is double espresso with fresh orange and pomegranate juice, but the juices are blended together and steamed as you would milk.”

In an attempt to replicate the interior color of the Lexus NX, Vadim says he initially used Sicilian orange, but eventually added pomegranate juice. When ordering a flat red beverage, the barista must squeeze fresh juice using a manual press.

“Customers would photograph the baristas, take pictures of the drink and post them on social media,” he says. “Flat red is a marketing tool, and we didn't have to do much to promote it ourselves.”a