Every state can claim an official state flower, bird, and flag. But if you live in Rhode Island, you know that the Ocean State has its own official drink. Coffee milk may not sound appealing to some, but if you’ve never tried it, you’re missing out — it’s both delicious and addictive.

Coffee milk isn't just milk with coffee in it. It's coffee flavored milk, as real as chocolate milk.
Wikipedia
And unlike real coffee (usually), the locals enjoy it at all hours of the day.
Coffee milk is a tasty combination of Autocrat Syrup and milk.
spablab / Wikipedia
Autocrat Syrup, a delightfully sweet coffee extract syrup, has been around since the 1930s.
So, how did this all start? That's not entirely clear, but most trace it back to the Italian immigrants living in Providence in the late 19th century.
The West End / Flickr
One of their culinary traditions was drinking sweetened coffee with milk, which led to the invention of coffee milk.

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As more and more diners and cafes started to open in the state, coffee milk was served at many of them, and its popularity rose.
spablab / Flickr
It was officially declared the official state drink of Rhode Island in 1993 after winning a competition with Del's Lemonade.
These days, you can find coffee milk in one form or another all over the state.
Autocrat Coffee Syrup / Facebook
It's also used as a delicious base for our other state drink, the coffee cabinet (aka the best milkshake ever).
And that's how Rhode Island earned itself an official state drink.
Autocrat Coffee Syrup / Facebook
And while Autocrat Syrup is the most common syrup used, you can actually make your own at home by simmering coffee and sugar in a saucepan.

In case you’ve ever wondered, that’s how our tasty state drink came to be. Are you a fan of Rhode Island coffee milk?

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