While Thanksgiving is traditionally associated with a hearty feast of turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and plenty of sides, the real item to celebrate this year is Ogawa’s carefully decorated thanksgiving latte. Ogawa - a Kyoto, Japan based gourmet coffee shop - opened their first international outpost in 2015 in the Downtown Crossing neighborhood of Boston.

George Thomson

The Story Behind Ogawa

Ogawa prides themselves on being “coffee artisans” - and their artistry is certainly showcased by the impressive art that tops their lattes and cappuccinos. Ogawa takes special care to ensure that all baristas are trained by the best in the business, such as 2012 World Latte Art champion Haruna Murayama. In fact, the CEO of Ogawa - Yoshinori Uda - wrote the book on latte art in 2014, hoping to share his company’s craft with the world.

Enjoy Festive Lattes All Year Long

As if the festive turkey-topped thanksgiving latte wasn’t enough, Ogawa features seasonal artistry for many holidays. During Halloween, pumpkins and ghosts can be found splashing inside of the brand’s caffeinated confections, and in the winter, Ogawa features several different festive designs, such as snowmen and reindeer.

Flowers and the phrase “be mine” whirl around cappuccinos during Valentine’s Day, and four-leaf clovers top matcha lattes for a colorful touch during St. Patrick’s Day. Ogawa also designs art for mother’s day, father’s day, Easter, and Fourth of July, so you can get your instagrammable latte art fix during any time of year. 

There is one downfall to ordering a beautiful Ogawa thanksgiving latte: having to ruin its temporary charm as you take a sip. However, the silkiness of high quality espresso will help to ease the guilt of drinking the aesthetically pleasing creation.

For now, make sure to head by Ogawa before your holiday travels to request a seasonal thanksgiving latte. You will certainly leave the shop feeling more thankful than when you entered.