Women's Journal

Are Coffee and Dairy a Match Made in Heaven? Feature Film “Coffee Wars” Begs to Differ

Dairy milk is prevalent in all kinds of coffee beverages. From lattes to cappuccinos, many coffee-based beverages have a common ingredient: dairy milk. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. 

Instead, all these drinks can be made vegan using dairy milk alternatives, like oat milk, soy milk, cashew milk, or almond milk. Nowadays, there is a robust market for coffee drinks that use these vegan alternatives. People have seen the effects the dairy industry has on animals and the environment alike. Plus, they realize the health benefits that vegan milk has to offer; often, it’s lower in calories and fat, making it a healthier choice. Vegan alternatives are now commonplace in coffee chains’ mom-and-pop coffee shops nationwide. Plus, oat milk is hot on Tik Tok. 

In the new feature film “Coffee Wars,” vegan barista Jo, played by Kate Nash, seeks to show the world that dairy alternatives taste better with coffee than traditional cow’s milk. She demonstrates that coffee and dairy milk are not a match made in heaven. You don’t need to use dairy milk to make a latte taste good. 

How does Jo show that? She enters the World Barista Championship, where she aims to make the best latte on Earth—all while using almond milk (her competitors are using dairy milk). She’s poised to prove to them that you can have a creamy, delicious latte without harming any cows – or the planet. 

Along the way, Jo demonstrates not only the power of veganism but also the importance of ethical consumerism and female entrepreneurship. She is a young business owner who is passionate about what she does, and she sticks to her values even when it seems like the entire world is against her. When she’s down and out, she refuses to give in to pressure. No matter what, she is going to keep promoting veganism. She is never going to stop being a loud and proud vegan. 

In the opening scene of the movie, Jo tells off a potential customer who orders a dairy milk latte; she will not serve that in her establishment. In an epic rant, Jo educates us, the viewers, about how farmers impregnate cows to get milk out of them. After her rant, Jo kicks the potential customer out of her store rather than serve her dairy milk. It goes against everything she stands for.  

The next time you go to order a latte, think about Jo and what she might say. Do you really need it? Or could you try some almond, oat, soy, or cashew milk instead? You might find that you love it. 

Of course, make sure you tune into “Coffee Wars” to learn more about the dairy milk industry and veganism while having a laugh at the same time. 

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