When Ordering A Coffee Cabinet In Rhode Island, Don't Expect Furniture

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There are some U.S. regional foods that have become classic American dishes, like New York pizza, New England clam chowder, Southern fried chicken, and Southwestern Tex-Mex. But many others still largely remain local secrets. People who aren't from Buffalo, New York, for instance, likely won't know that a beef on weck is similar to a French dip sandwich, and beyond a handful of mid-Atlantic states, most Americans have never heard of the meatloaf-like scrapple, a Pennsylvania Dutch staple. Similarly, non-Rhode Islanders visiting the state might mistake a coffee cabinet for a piece of furniture instead of the local name for a coffee milkshake.

A blend of ice cream, milk, and coffee syrup — a reduction of brewed coffee and sugar — coffee cabinets first began appearing around World War II, and the usual explanation for the name is that the blenders used to make them were kept in cabinets in places like soda shops. However, some younger folks generally call them milkshakes now, as use of the quirky traditional name has faded. "Old establishments still call them cabinets and such, but mostly for tourists to think they're buying something unique to the area," one Redditor explained. "The general population doesn't."

The cabinets were created by adding ice cream to coffee milk, the Rhode Island state drink made from milk mixed with the same syrup. The drink's origins lie in the popularity of the very sweet coffee the state's many Italian immigrants brought with them. The story goes that a soda fountain worker in the 1920s mixed used coffee grounds with milk and sugar to make a flavored syrupy substance, then mixed it with milk. The first commercial syrup debuted in 1932, and the two that became the most popular were introduced soon after: Eclipse in 1938, and Autocrat in the 1940s.

One of the best-known places to get a coffee cabinet is Delekta Pharmacy, an old-school soda fountain and shop in Warren. It had long also operated as a pharmacy, which was traditional in soda shops' heyday, but it ended its prescription business in 2017. Delekta uses its own coffee syrup from a family recipe, and also serves a vanilla cabinet made with its vanilla syrup. Chocolate, strawberry, and mocha flavors are available as well.

If you're not planning a trip to Rhode Island anytime soon, you can whip up your own cabinet at home with the same three ingredients. Autocrat Coffee Syrup, available on Amazon, is still the leading brand in the Ocean State, while Eclipse, which it now owns, is sweeter, with a milder taste. You could also try making it yourself by simmering strong coffee mixed with the same amount of sugar until it reduces and becomes a little thicker.

Coffee ice cream is popular, but you could choose another flavor like chocolate chip, cookies and cream, or caramel for your cabinet. Use regular milk or heavy cream for a richer consistency, and non-dairy milks are also an option. Try stirring in mini chocolate chips or chopped nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, or pecans. You could also amplify the coffee flavor with chopped chocolate-covered espresso beans.