Written by Jordan Michelman.
The Shakerato doesn’t ask much from us. It wants only to be constructed simply, shaken vigorously, and enjoyed. But when I thought about the opportunity to focus on the shakerato, my mind almost immediately turned to the many outstanding plural shakerati I’ve enjoyed over the years at Equator Coffees, a coffee roasting and retail cafe company based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I’m a regular visitor to San Francisco and its environs, and have enjoyed a shakerato or twelve over the years at Equator’s beautiful Round House cafe overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge (with a stunning LM Linea PB in “Equator Red”), centrally located SOMA cafe in the heart of the city (in the LinkedIn building lobby), and buzzy outdoor container cafe on the shores of Oakland’s Lake Merritt, among other locations. It turns out that Equator has had some version of shakerato on its menu since opening their very first cafe in 2013—the brand began roasting in 1995—and that today it’s one of the most riffed on and creative drinks on the menu.
I just had to learn more, and so I spoke with Noelle Fagerlund, Equator’s Retail Quality Assurance Manager, to discuss all things shaken espresso with ice.
Hi Noelle! Thank you so much for speaking with me. I’ve had many a shakerato riff at Equator over the years, but I’m curious: what are the most current versions of a shakerato you’re serving at the cafe today?
Noelle Fagerlund: We currently serve a Brown Sugar Cinnamon Shakerato in 16oz. serving size. It is made with 3 shots of Tigerwalk Espresso, brown sugar, and Oatly oat milk shaken with ice till frothy, then topped with cinnamon.
Tell me more about some of the past shakeratos you’ve served at Equator over the years.
We first rolled this drink out in 2013 when we opened our first cafe, and the recipe has changed over time. The Classic was with 2 shots of espresso, brown sugar, and heavy cream. It was much smaller—just 7oz. Servin—and this “Classic” shakerato is still available as a secret menu item for our long-time fans. While it represents a smaller portion of the category, it delivers the espresso-forward experience our customers first fell in love with. We had chocolate and matcha versions as well.
These drinks were popular for years, however, the feedback from our customers was they were looking for a larger version. To move to a larger size we moved away from the heavy cream standard. This drink is delicious, but it is too rich for a bigger serving.
Last season we served a Vanilla Almond Shakerato and a Brainwash Mushroom Mocha Shakerato.
How popular in general are these shakerato-style (iced, shaken) drinks at Equator? Do people order them year-round?
They’re very popular, even in the colder winter months. Although we are talking about California winter, not Midwest winter. Customers enjoy the stronger presence of espresso with 3 shots and the creamy, shaken texture. Our brown sugar and cinnamon combination is a favorite.
In terms of volume, while it varies based on the different flavors we offer, we generally see the highest sales in Oakland and San Francisco.
Visit Equator Coffees at their website and on Instagram.
