Coffee drunk from a white cup tastes less sweet and more bitter, than drinking from a clear or blue mug, reveals new study released in the online journal Flavour.
The study explained that humans tend to associate colour with flavour and white was associated with bitterness and the brown colour of the coffee contrasted significantly with a white drinking mug.
Researchers investigated whether consumers’ perception of a café latte beverage would be influenced by the colour (transparent, white or blue) of the mug from which it was drunk.
The study idea was inspired by barista who overheard customers claiming that coffee drunk from a white mug tasted bitterer than drinking from a clear glass container.
Researchers noted that drinking from a clear cup enhanced a drink’s sweetness and blue mugs apparently intensified both sweetness and bitterness, so the brew just tasted stronger overall.
Researchers then conducted the study where participants drank coffee from white, clear and blue mugs and were then asked to analyse taste and found that brew tastes “significantly more intense” (less sweet and more bitter) if drunken in a white mug as compared to a clear or blue mug.
The researchers claim their findings on mug colour should “be considered by those serving coffee as it can influence the consumer’s multisensory coffee drinking experience.”
