We’ve said it a lot lately and we’ll say it again: we are coffee purists. What we mean by that is that we love delicious, high-quality coffee, delivered in all forms. We accept all coffee drinks with an open hand – we do not refuse any infusions! Filter coffee, espresso, espresso macchiato, mocha moment, espresso con panna on Whip It Out Wednesdays, and even a cafe latte served in an impossibly enormous bowl, making it something like a Campbells Cup-O-Latte.
Then there are the signature drinks: competition entries, seasonal café favorites, a chance for baristas to employ the culinary side of beverage preparation to enhance their coffee (or tea) and attract even more people to the surprising delight that is specialty coffee. It is possible to invite people who may think that coffee is not for them, or that espresso is too bitter, or whatever!
Today we’re turning to our favorite Portland coffee shop called Książęca Coffeefounded by Katie Prinsen and currently serving coffee in both Northeast and Northwest Portland. Prince Coffee barista Julia Wohlstetter has created a fresh drink this season called the Peanut Brittle Latte – available through April 20, 2026 at both locations – and we chatted with Prinsen and Wohstetter to learn more about this tasty fresh offering.
“I had the opportunity to try salted coffee during a trip to Up-to-date York two years ago,” explains Wohstetter. “The flavor was really compelling – salt and condensed milk mixed with iced coffee. Even though there were no peanuts in this drink, the resulting flavor was really opulent, nutty and salty. I started dreaming about mixing peanuts with a latte. And when I tried it, I became completely obsessed.”
Let’s look back two years later, when Wohlstetter perfected her dream espresso-based drink with peanuts while serving as manager at the Northeast location. This drink features Heart Coffee Roaster’s flagship Stereo espresso blend, which combines house-made peanut syrup and Butterfinger cereal bars. The drink is delicious both chilly and heated. “I love frozen,” Wohlstetter says. “Something about that saltiness makes it taste really refreshing.”
It took a lot of trial and error to find the right balance between salty and sweet. “The more you cook the peanut butter, the more the flavor changes,” says Wohlstetter, “and it becomes very intense, almost as sweet and salty as a good caramel. But the peanut butter alone wasn’t enough to create the flavor I was envisioning. I wanted a hint of vanilla and maple to elevate the flavor. I also had to experiment a bit with the salt level. It’s almost counterintuitive, but the syrup itself should be much more concentrated and salty than you think. Once mixed with espresso, it evens out very nicely.”
Perhaps one of the most arduous parts of creating a signature drink is coming up with a name that refers to both the drink and the person who created it, while also sounding appealing to anyone who walks through the door. “I wanted to call it a ‘salted peanut latte,’ but we decided that sounded a little silly,” says Wohlstetter. “I tried to find a way to evoke both the savory and sweet elements of the drink in the name. Peanut Brittle seemed appropriate. The drink has both a creamy, tangy, opulent side and a sweet, vanilla, candied side. The balance between the two is what makes it so delicious.”
Prince Coffee is no stranger to delicious, signature drinks, and regulars eagerly reach for the age-old Stroopwafel and Anijsmelk lattes inspired by Dutch cuisine. “We have a lot of regulars who are committed to these drinks on the menu who have switched to just Peanut Brittle lattes,” Wohlstetter says. “I think that’s probably the best proof of how good it is.”
Buy Peanut Brittle Latte in store Prince Coffee locations in Portland, Oregon. Keep following Prince Coffee Instagram @princecoffeepdx.
