“Don’t clog an artery for 7 Brew coffee,” says one customer after learning how the company’s drinks are made. In a viral 41-second TikTok, the woman says she means “no hate” toward the company, but she has a major concern about its coffee.
SydlWil (@sydlwil), who indicates in her bio that she is an “aspiring coffee shop owner,” says she “loves” 7 Brew. However, all of its coffees are made breve-style.
“Breve is literally just half & half,” she says. “You’re drinking a cup of half & half, with caramel, vanilla, sugar.”
She says half & half servings are measured in tablespoons, and there are two grams of fat per tablespoon. The creator urges viewers to consider what that means for their 16-ounce 7 Brew drinks.
“Just get it made with whole milk,” she says.
What is breve-style coffee?
The Spruce Eats explains, “Caffè breve is an espresso-based drink that’s made like a cappuccino, but with steamed half-and-half instead of milk. This produces a very creamy foam. Try it if you want a decadently rich (but sugarless) espresso drink. You will also see it called the breve latte, cafè breve, and breve coffee. Breve means ‘short’ in Italian.”
While SydlWil implies that breve coffee at 7 Brew is made with almost 16 ounces of half & half, the infographic on Spruce Eats’ website shows a cup full of mostly espresso with a bit of half & half on top.
SydlWil’s concern makes sense, though. As someone who worked at Dunkin’, I can attest that a cappuccino there is mostly milk with one shot of espresso. Given this, it’s unsurprising that SydlWil would learn that a caffè breve is a cappuccino where the milk is replaced with half & half and assume that the 7 Brew drinks are mostly half & half.
Are all drinks at 7 Brew made breve-style?
According to its menu, no, not all 7 Brew drinks are made breve-style. Three out of the 7 Originals are made breve-style, while three others are mocha (made with a chocolate milk or mocha mix). You can also order a hot, iced, or chilled breve from the Classics menu.
The website also states that you can “customize everything,” and the company offers oat, almond, or coconut milk as alternatives.
According to a Facebook post, the company also offers whole, skim, 2%, and soy.
Additionally, another Facebook post claims that breve is the default drink style unless otherwise specified. It also lists the purported contents of a typical iced drink.
It states, “For a medium, the drink is 12 oz liquid and 12 oz ice. of the 12 oz, 2 oz is espresso and 2 oz is flavor leaving 8 oz (1 cup) dairy. in a large, it is 16 oz liquid and 16 oz ice. of the 16 oz, 4 oz is espresso and 2 oz flavor leaving 10 oz dairy.”
Commenters were shocked
In the comments section, many viewers expressed surprise at SydlWil’s claims.
“Wait but if I order an iced latte with oat milk am I still just drinking mostly oatmilk,” one viewer questioned.
A second claimed, “Dutch bros is the same way, all of the main menu coffee items are made FULLY with half and half or chocolate milk.”
“What ppl don’t understand is that this isn’t a fat vs skinny issue.. it’s a literal HEALTH issue,” another said.
@sydlwil Don’t get me wrong. It’s delicious, but sooo not worth the calories and clogged arteries. Ask them to sub whole milk, 2% or absolutely anything else lol #7brewcoffee #coffeetiktok ♬ original sound – SydlWil??
Is it bad to drink breve coffee?
Because of its fat and calorie content, breve coffee may work better for some diets than others. To understand this, let’s first compare the nutrition facts of a breve latte versus a traditional one.
According to coffee company Wild Calf, “A 16-ounce breve contains approximately 455 calories, while a latte of the same size made with 2% milk has only 189 calories. The numbers tell an even clearer story with 12-ounce drinks – a breve packs around 426 calories, but a latte with 2% milk has just 142 calories.”
Importantly, 2% milk is reduced fat, so the calorie information for a drink made with whole (full-fat) or skim (non-fat) milk would be higher or lower, respectively.
Why is there such a big calorie difference?
The huge calorie difference comes from the fat content of each drink. A 12-ounce breve latte has around 37 grams of fat.
“This happens because half-and-half must have 10.5% to 18% fat content by industry standards. The USDA requires the heavy cream in half-and-half to maintain at least 36% milkfat,” Wild Calf states.
Meanwhile, “Lattes made with whole milk have much less fat since whole milk contains only 3.25% fat. A regular latte has about 7.4 grams of fat. This makes it a better option if you watch your fat intake.”
So, which is healthier?
Ultimately, whether you choose a breve or traditional latte depends on your health goals.
“Lattes work better for weight-loss diets because they have fewer calories,” Wild Calf states. “Notwithstanding that, breves might be perfect for specific diets like keto, where fat matters more than calories.”
Beyond that, the company states that lattes allow you to play with milk alternatives while breves keep you full for longer because of their fat content. Both packs about the same amount of protein, with traditional lattes having 6-7 grams while breves have 8.
The company concludes, “New breve drinkers should start slow, especially if they count calories. Of course, people with lactose issues might find half-and-half harder to digest.”
The Mary Sue contacted SydlWil via TikTok comment and direct message. It contacted 7 Brew via press email.
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