International Delight Friends Coffee Creamer Review

In Elite Daily's series Chef's Kiss, we taste the latest food and drink trends to help you figure out which ones you definitely don’t want to sleep on. In this piece, we taste the new International Delight Friends-inspired Manhattan Hazelnut Mocha coffee creamer.

If you’re a true Friends stan, you probably can’t even count the number of times you’ve watched Monica, Rachel, Phoebe, Joey, Chandler, and Ross gather together in Central Perk. From the comically oversized coffee mugs to Gunther’s shock of hair, the coffeehouse was the hub of the show. It’s no wonder International Delight’s way of bringing a little bit of the show into your home is through your morning sip. International Delight’s new Friends-inspired coffee creamer in partnership with Warner Bros. dropped on Jan. 3, and this review of Friends Manhattan Hazelnut Mocha creamer will have you ready to start a 10-season marathon fueled by the themed sip.

You’ll want to pull up a seat at your own couch (bonus points if it’s orange) for this coffee moment. The Friends Manhattan Hazelnut Mocha creamer apparently tastes like “hints of hazelnut, mouthfuls of mocha, and all the excitement of Manhattan,” according to a Jan. 3 press release, but what’s actually exciting is that the flavor was inspired by the Manhattan Mocha, a drink that was advertised on Central Perk’s chalkboard menu in the show. If you’ve ever wished you were part of the gang, this drink will take you one step closer, so you better get ready to channel your favorite character.

The Friends-inspired creamer comes in both classic and zero-sugar versions, and I tried them both to really get a feel for what you can expect.

Friends-Inspired Creamer Classic Flavor Review

As soon as I opened the creamer’s purple bottle — a nod to the hue of the walls in Monica’s apartment — a strong hazelnut scent wafted through the air. I poured both creamers into separate cups and noticed the significantly darker color of the classic creamer that almost looks like chocolate milk. I tried the creamer on its own (because, you know, research), but couldn’t get past the intensely sugary taste. Then it was time to try it the way you’d usually taste coffee creamer: I poured a freshly brewed cup of black coffee and added a splash of the Friends creamer. The creamer did its thing, and as I drank the creamer-infused brew, it reminded me of a coffeehouse-quality hazelnut latte.

There is a subtle “hint of hazelnut” in the creamer, as the press release promised, but I couldn’t taste much of the mocha flavor. I really wished it tasted more chocolaty, given its hazelnut mocha moniker. If you wanted to make up for it, you could add your own chocolate syrup or powder to up the mocha factor, or you could just settle for major hazelnut vibes. Even with a missing flavor, I did enjoy how the creamer balanced out my coffee without overpowering it. I could even make the case for it eliciting a Janice-esque “Oh! My! God!”

Friends-Inspired Creamer Zero-Sugar Flavor Review

The zero-sugar Friends Manhattan Hazelnut Mocha creamer contains artificial sweeteners sucralose and acesulfame potassium, which you’ve probably tasted if you’ve ever had Splenda, so your Friends creamer will still have a touch of sweetness. On its own, the zero-sugar creamer isn’t nearly as sweet as the classic flavor, but you can taste the artificial sweetness pretty easily. It’s also a lighter and less creamy sip.

Mixed with the coffee, the zero-sugar creamer tasted less concentrated than the classic version, giving it a more understated flavor. The zero-sugar version was also lacking in mocha flavor, but certainly had a whisper of hazelnut. Overall, the zero-sugar creamer is less intense than the original.

To try a Central Perk-inspired sip for yourself, you can buy a 32-ounce bottle of the Friends Manhattan Hazelnut Mocha creamer for a limited time for $3.99.