Piada brewing up something new

Something new is brewing at Piada Italian Street Food. Intelligentsia Cold Coffee and Oat Latte are now available at any location for $3.99. Made with fresh Direct Trade coffee from Ethiopia and Peru, guests may order a coffee with their Cannoli Chips or take a cup to go for an afternoon pick-me-up, according to a company press release.

The tasting notes for the beverages include:

• Cold Coffee, which is brewed hot to express the depth of aroma and complexity of flavors, then flash chilled to preserve its natural sweetness. It features notes of raw sugar and apple and is vegan and gluten- and dairy-free.
• Oat Latte, which has oat milk, and features notes of sugar cookies, milk chocolate and molasses. It’s vegan and gluten- and dairy-free.

“We chose Intelligentsia as a partner because of their values, people and flavor,” Chef Matt Harding, senior vice president of culinary and innovation at Piada, said said in the release. “They are committed to purchasing coffee by direct trade. Instead of approaching importers who buy coffees from around the world, direct trade roasters work out deals with farmers directly. Direct trade is a very different approach to coffee sourcing that became incredibly important to us.”

Unlike Direct Trade Certification, Fair Trade Certification has no requirement related to quality. The relationships that drive Intelligentsia’s Direct Trade model are rooted in mutual commitment to quality, which is a shared embrace of the quality premiums at the core of Piada’s model, Harding said.

Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, Piada has locations throughout Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Texas and is coming soon to North Carolina.