You’ve seen the drink. Deep violet, layered in a clear glass, sitting in someone’s hand on your feed. You’ve probably wondered how much of a nightmare it is to actually make.
Answer: it isn’t. Not with this bottle.
Alchemy’s Ultra Violet Ube Concentrate takes the Filipino purple yam that’s taken over café menus from Manila to LA and puts it in a form you can pour. One pump, add milk, done.
What is ube?
Ube is a vibrant purple yam native to the Philippines, where it has been used for generations in desserts including cakes, ice cream and ube halaya, a traditional sweet purple yam preparation.
It’s also important not to confuse Ube with taro. They might both appear in colourful Asian-inspired drinks and desserts, but they’re different ingredients with different flavour profiles.
Ube has a naturally distinctive purple colour and a mild, sweet, creamy flavour — which is exactly why it has translated so well from traditional desserts into modern café drinks.
What does Ultra Violet Ube taste like?
Sweet, nutty and unmistakably dessert-like. The flavour sits between vanilla, coconut and sweet potato, with a creamy body. The closest shorthand most people land on is melted vanilla ice cream with a gentle earthy undertone.
It’s grown-up and balanced rather than sugary-novelty, and it’s approachable in a way matcha isn’t. Almost nobody tries ube and pulls a face. That’s exactly why it converts so well on a counter.
Despite the colour, it tastes nothing like grape.
How to use it
The one rule that matters: dissolve it in a splash of hot water first. Ube is naturally dense, and if you pour texturised milk straight onto the concentrate it can clump. A few seconds of stirring is the difference between silky and disappointing.
Ube Latte — hot
- Splash of hot water in the base of the cup
- Add concentrate: 2 pumps for 8oz, 3 for 12oz, 4 for 16oz
- Stir until completely smooth
- Top with texturised milk, standard latte pour
Iced Ube Latte
- Dissolve the concentrate in a small splash of hot water
- Fill the glass with ice
- Pour cold milk slowly over the back of a spoon for the layered effect
- Straw on the side: let them mix it themselves. It photographs better unmixed
Dirty Ube
Build the iced version, then pour a shot of espresso straight over the top and don’t stir. The three-tone gradient is the entire point of this drink.
Ube Matcha
Make your matcha as normal, then float an ube cold foam on top. The green-to-violet contrast is the single most photographed drink in this category right now and it gives you a second ube item without a second ingredient.
Also works in
Milkshakes and smoothies, drizzled over ice cream, stirred through hot milk as a caffeine-free steamer for the non-coffee drinkers in the group, alongside white chocolate, coconut or chai.
Why cafes are putting this on menu
It’s a signature drink that doesn’t need a new skill. No powder to dissolve, no halaya to cook, no waste. Pour, pump, add milk.
It escapes flat white pricing. A $5 flat white has a price ceiling set by every café on the street. A signature purple latte doesn’t. Suppliers cite margins of up to 80% on concentrate-based drinks — run your own numbers, but the gap is real.
It sells itself on the counter. You don’t explain ube. You put it in a clear glass where people can see it.
It covers the non-coffee customer. Caffeine free means it serves teenagers, afternoon customers and anyone who came in with a coffee drinker but doesn’t drink coffee themselves.
Consistency. Every cup is identical. That’s the thing real halaya can’t give you at volume.
Ready to Add Ube to Your Menu?
If you’re ready to give your customers something new to talk about, Alchemy Ultra Violet Ube Concentrate is available to buy online from Kelly’s Distributors.
Whether you’re creating your next seasonal special or adding Ube as a permanent menu option, you can order Ube syrup directly from the Kelly’s website and have it delivered across Australia.
Shop Ube Syrup online at Kelly’s Distributors and start creating your next must-try drink.
FAQ
How many drinks per bottle? 50 serves from a 750ml bottle.
Does it contain caffeine? No. Ube itself has none, and neither does the concentrate. Add espresso if you want a dirty ube latte.
Is it vegan? Yes — vegan friendly, dairy free and gluten free. Pair it with whatever milk you like.
Does it work with plant-based milk? Yes. Oat gives the creamiest body and the best colour. Coconut leans most authentic to the Filipino flavour. Almond is thinnest and dulls the colour slightly.
Is it the same as taro? No. Taro is pale and much more neutral. Ube is deep violet and considerably sweeter.
Do I need a pump? Recommended, especially first time — it’s how you get consistent dosing. Pumps are usually sold separately.
How should I store it? Cool and dry, out of direct sunlight. Refrigerate after opening and use within the period stated on the bottle.
