​National Frappe Day

Frappes offer a great opportunity to get that coffeehouse feeling without having to leave home or spend a lot of money. Here’s an easy way to make a delicious drink at home in honor of Frappe Day:

Start with a cup of brewed coffee that has been allowed to cool. To that, add a cup of cold milk and two cups of ice. Blend together and then flavor in whatever way is preferred, whether using caramel sauce, mint syrup, chocolate sauce, or another delicious type of flavoring. Honey and maple syrup are two perfectly natural ways to add sweetness and flavor without a bunch of preservatives.

Making a Frappe is a fun way to enjoy a delicious treat!

History of Frappe Day

A hallmark of Greek coffee culture from the 1950s onwards, the humbly delicious frappe has earned a yearly celebration. The frappe is distinguished by being one of the few beverages improved by the use of instant coffee! (Yes, it’s shocking, but keep reading.)

Supposedly, the frappe was created by a tired Nestle sales representative at the Thessaloniki Trade Fair in 1957 who was beset by caffeine cravings. It’s often said that creativity flourishes in the face of restraint, and so it was when this beleaguered man couldn’t find access to any hot water to make his instant coffee. So he took some of his instant coffee, put it with cold water and ice, and shook his way to what would eventually become an internationally enjoyed drink.

Of course, from there, versions of the drink were modified to include cream, sugar, flavorings, or sometimes even ice cream. Nowadays, they are also often blended in a blender, but the idea is the same. No matter how it is made, Frappes are delicious!

Although it started out as an accident because the inventor couldn’t access hot water, the Frappe froth actually has a surprising amount of science behind it. Spray-dried instant coffee and its lower oil content are the key to creating long-lasting bubbles. Freeze-dried instant coffee won’t cut it. The next time someone wants to complain that they can’t get a good coffee anywhere in the country, they might just be right. Perhaps they’ll need to head over to Greece, where the Frappe is the official national coffee drink!

How to Celebrate Frappe Day

Celebrating this Frappe Day contains loads of fun and enjoyment that includes delicious coffee, ice, and sometimes even a bit of creamy sweetness. Try out these ideas for the celebration of Frappe Day:

Enjoy a Frappe Today

Hop over to a local cafe and grab an amazing and delicious Frappe. Whether in the morning to start the day, or in the afternoon as an energetic pick-me-up, an iced frappe can be appreciated just about any time of the day.

Starbucks has its signature Frappuccino on offer, which is a blended or iced version of the frappe drink, but taken to the extreme. One of these drinks is hardly like drinking a coffee at all and, instead, is more like drinking a dessert with a straw! In fact, some of them don’t even include coffee in them.

The options for flavors are virtually endless, including fun names like Caramel Ribbon Crunch, Mocha Cookie Crumble, Strawberry Funnel Cake or Matcha Green Tea Creme. No matter which flavor is chosen, it’s most likely going to be delicious.

Share a Frappe

Find someone you love (or just generally like) and gift them with an iced coffee drink on Frappe Day! Whether it’s picking one up for the person in the next cubicle at work or bringing one home to your significant other, Frappe Day is a great way to tell someone else that they are appreciated and thought of.

Get a Free (or Discounted) Coffee Drink

As with many other foodie days, Frappe Day is a time when some companies choose to celebrate by giving away free stuff! And on this day, many people can score themselves a free cup of coffee. It changes every year, but here’s a list of some of the restaurants that have offered free coffee drinks on Frappe Days (or just regular days) in the past. Check them out to see what kind of promos they have going:

• McDonald’s. At one point, this most famous of fast food restaurants had a deal “buy one, get one for $.01” for those who downloaded the McCafe app around Frappe Day. At other times, they have been known to offer a free coffee after the purchase of five.
• Dunkin’ Donuts. Known the world around for their coffee, Dunkin’ has a perks program that offers a free coffee for those who register with them.
• Starbucks. In some locations of this coffee chain, customers can get a discount during the week of Frappe Day, especially if it falls on a Thursday! That’s because Thursday is Happy Hour Day, which means between 2pm and 7pm, coffee drinks are BOGO (buy one get one free) on select Thursday. Check the Starbucks app or local store for details.

Choose to “Pay It Forward”

Get generous on Frappe Day and cover the cost of the coffee order of the person who is just behind in line at the drive-through coffee shop. It will make them have a much better day, reminding them that the world isn’t such a bad place after all!