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?
