Japanese convenience store coffees are now bigger than ever, thanks to the new “Deka Drink” trend

Family Mart and Lawson go head-to-head in a supersized coffee showdown. Convenience store coffees are big right now, literally, with the rise of what locals are referring to as the “Deka Drink”. Liter

Family Mart and Lawson go head-to-head in a supersized coffee showdown.

Convenience store coffees are big right now, literally, with the rise of what locals are referring to as the “Deka Drink”. Literally translating as “Massive Drink”, these supersized beverages jut out from the beverage landscape, towering over the sizes you usually see in Japan, and yet they’re proving to be incredibly popular with coffee lovers.

While Lawson has dominated the landscape for a number of years with its Mega Size, Family Mart is now giving the chain a run for its money, with the release of its LL size, thanks to the 2 June rollout of its new coffee machines, which the company says deliver the best-tasting coffee in its history. Keen to test these claims and find out if Family Mart’s massive coffee has what it takes to take on Lawson’s, we decided to purchase an iced latte from both chains to compare them.

First off, let’s start with a look at the prices.

▼ Family Mart’s LL Iced Cafe Latte costs 370 yen (US$2.50)

▼ Lawson’s Mega Iced Caffè Latte costs 390 yen

Now let’s check out the sizes.

From the outside, Lawson’s Mega Size looks significantly bigger, but when you look inside the cup, the difference is what you would expect for the extra 20 yen that you pay for it.

Now for the most important part: the taste.

This is where the difference becomes most obvious, because Family Mart’s latte has a wonderfully fragrant aroma and a rich, full-bodied coffee flavour. After running a search on it, we found that the chain really does take the flavour of its coffee seriously, as the coffee blend is designed to recreate the hand-drip brewing technique of Tetsu Kasuya, winner of the 2016 World Brewers Cup. Another plus for the Family Mart latte is the choice of three different milk varieties: Milk Rich, Regular, or Coffee Rich.

▼ We went for the Regular this time, but the coffee was so good that we’re tempted to try the Coffee Rich version next.

Lawson’s latte, on the other hand, really lets the milk shine. The chain has long been known for the quality of its milk, and it shows here, as the drink is smooth, creamy and full of richness, with a gentle, comforting flavour. You still get a lovely coffee aroma, making it an incredibly satisfying drink overall, but in our opinion, it’s more suited to** lovers of really milky lattes**.

After trying them both, it’s clear that each latte its own distinct appeal, with Family Mart serving up a richer coffee aroma and more pronounced coffee flavour, and Lawson delivering a creamier, milk-forward beverage with a smooth, mellow taste.

So if you’re in the mood to savour the coffee itself, Family Mart will be your go-to destination, while Lawson is perfect for those times when you just want a big, milky drink to sip on. It’s nice to have both options to suit our moods, and although they’re yet to join the deka drink trend, 7-Eleven has an equally good brew in stores, and is catering to tea lovers too.