I don’t know about you, but I love coffee. It wasn’t always this way, but the advent of fancy coffee shops in the mall – where I was working in the mid-90’s – enticed me and eventually hooked me.
Back in the day, I was one of those frappe drinkers. You know, the sugary, sweet, calorie-laden drinks that were like milkshakes with a kick? Yeah, that was me. But I was young then, too, and the calories were no match for my metabolism. Sadly, these days, I’ve weaned myself off those drinks and have settled into a love affair with iced coffee. Doesn’t matter if it’s the regular kind, cold brew, or the fancy nitro stuff, I just love iced coffee.
Most of the time, I drink plain coffee with a splash of skim or oatmilk. But I do tend to get bored easily, which is why I always have a bag of flavored beans in the house. I know that flavored coffee isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, so to speak, but I do like it on occasion. Thanks to the internet and a huge array of small roasters, you can get every kind of coffee imaginable these days.
My favorite straight up coffee is Trader Joe’s Joe. I go for the medium roast, but that’s my preference. It has a good flavor and is priced right at $6.99.
A more expensive option is Stumptown’s Holler Mtn. It was one of the first whole bean coffees I tried and it’s still one of my favorites.
Now, when it comes to flavored coffees, I’m not even sure where to start. Bones Coffee has some really fun – and sometimes very strange – flavors. They routinely feature limited time collabs that have spawned some exciting and fun flavors. My favorite, to date, was the Star Wars Dark Side Truffle. Very chocolatey and rich. However, the SpongeBob Squarepants Bikini Bottom Brew – flavored like pineapple upside down cake – while sounding interesting, wasn’t something I was brave enough to try. To date, I haven’t had a blend from Bones that hasn’t been tasty.
If you’re interested in something a little different – and as a way to give back to first responders – then Fire Department Coffee is your guy. This roaster is veteran owned and gives a portion of their proceeds to help firefighters all over the US. What drew me to them was their spirit infused coffees. It’s coffee for those days when you need a drink but can’t have one at work. The salted caramel bourbon is my favorite to date, however, I do currently have a bag of the toasted marshmallow whisky at home that I’m eager to try. They do also have lots of regular beans and traditionally flavored coffees as well. But if you want something to start a conversation, the spirit infused blends are the way to go.
For the bookish people, Fable Grounds Coffee is sure to be a hit. A friend had forwarded me an email of theirs and I was fascinated by how they created brews to match with their favorite books. Fable Grounds really endeared themselves to me by having beans and merch authorized by Travis Baldree. Having a Legends & Lattes stoneware coffee mug just fits. Plus, the Midnight Crescents blend is so good. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, they have a ton of cute merch for perusal. Their mugs are especially awesome and are perfect for filling with ice cream.
Now that I have you craving a bit of java (or not), how about a little fun? I found this quiz, which is what inspired me to make this post.
Order Starbucks And We’ll Accurately Guess Your Zodiac Sign
My results were not even close. Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn? Nope, I’m a water sign all the way, baby!
What about you? How accurate was your sign predicted?
My results were not accurate either, but now I’m craving coffee. 😀
For anyone reading this who doesn’t or can’t drink creamers made from cow’s milk, the Hazelnut Latte flavor of Silk oat creamer is amazing. It tastes like hazelnuts and is sweet without being too sweet if that makes sense.
I treat myself to it every so often.
That sounds fantastic, actually! Hazelnuts are my favorite. Good to know about Silk since I’ve not tried their creamers. Before my vegan daughter moved out, we’d buy Planet Oat’s oatmilk creamers for her. I love that with oatmilk you can’t even tell it’s not cow’s milk.
And sorry to make you crave coffee!
When I was a kid my mom and I lived with my aunt who was widowed. When mom left for work, Aunt Cile would fill a coffee cup half full of coffee and half full of cream and of course a teaspoon of sugar for me. My mom would have killed her had she known:) But I grew up loving coffee and am still dependent on it in the morning, even now that I’m retired. I’m not a flavored coffee person. We drink Chock Full O’Nuts most of the time, the dark roast. My husband sometimes drinks decaf but I call that “sissy” coffee. Oops, sorry.
That is hilarious! I tend to always have both a regular and a flavored on hand. I get bored easily. Hah, it’s all good. I save the decaf for when I’m craving a cup and it’s like 7 PM. 😀
Impressive post! I love coffee but I prefer a strong brew, not too sweet, a tad bit of whipping cream and occasionally I use MCT oil for a bullet coffee. I’m diabetic and most mornings I’m fasting but coffee and water are my fuel. My brand of coffee is basic Peet, Cafe Bustelo and a few local coffee brands.
Thank you! I’m partial to a medium roast myself, but it sounds good the way you prepare yours. Peet’s is good coffee, I sometimes buy it myself. We have some really nice local roasters as well.