The Story
Hailing from Montreal, Canada, Caroline Lafleur trained as a food scientist, studying at McGill University before working at Simulate, a plant-based food company, and Mattson, one of North America’s largest developers of new food and beverage products. She launched Bouquet Infusions in San Francisco with a simple pitch: syrups built around flavor first. Her recipes are bold, complex, and free of anything artificial.
At a Specialty Coffee Association expo in Chicago, Caroline met the Sightglass Coffee team, who was looking for a syrup partner. How serendipitous!. What started as a cupping session turned into Bouquet’s first major retail partnership, and a lesson that stuck: the goal is more about highlighting existing flavors than adding sweetness.
The Product
Bouquet’s current lineup reads like a flavor-forward cocktail menu: Orange Rind & Vanilla, Brown Butter Caramel, Vanilla Fleur de Sel, Green Cardamom. Developed for cafés, cocktails, or a simple glass of sparkling water, Caroline loves multidimensional flavors, and always with a bitter note.
Bouquet Infusions come in four flavours (for now). And if we had to pick, we would say: Green Cardamom to be paired with some fresh lime. Caroline is developing a new flavor “bouquet” around the cherry so stay tuned!
Available at Sightglass (Brown butter caramel miso latte), Hedge (Vanille Fleur de Sel) and Equator Cafés.
MerciSF Rapid Fire
- Favorite French bakery in the Bay Area: Arsicault and Bonjour Bakehouse (they use Bouquet Infusions!)
- Favorite French restaurant in the Bay Area: Rich Table
- What she misses most from France: Good bread everywhere. And she loves bread from Daymoon. And cultured butter
- What she’d miss most about the US if she were to move back to Canada: The Californian can-do attitude. Everything seems possible here. And I will also miss the salads.
- Her favorite Bouquet Infusion drink: Bouquet Infusions Orange Marmelade Espresso Tonic – super refreshing!
Curious? Follow @bouquet_infusions on Instagram or check out the website bouquetinfusions.com.
