drinking caffeine to wake up? or waking up to drink caffeine?
This one is a shout out to the nomadic tribes of Ethiopia, all those thousands of years ago…
Coffee.
Before moving to Denver, coffee to me was a tall, hot White Mocha latte from Starbucks. Or, being from Miami, Café Bustelo brewed in a moka pot (cafetera). Ever since moving to Denver and being introduced to the magical world of specialty coffee and local roasters, my mornings (and let’s be honest, mid-afternoons) have never been the same.
My first foray into this Wonderland was a cortado at Queen City Collective Coffee, on the corner of 1st and Cherokee (a small, cozy shop filled with awesome, welcoming people). Taking the first sip filled my mouth with incredibly complex earthy undertones. Well, at the time, it was more like getting punched in the face by what tasted like hot dirt and grass — an acquired taste we shall say. Definitely not like a tall, hot White Mocha latte from Starbucks. A few more trips to Queen City and over time I’ve noticed my palate has begun to change and is growing accustomed to picking up subtle flavors and pleasant aftertastes — fruity vs chocolaty vs earthy, etc.
Another shop I’ve explored is Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters, off of Colfax and Reed, and to my novice taste receptors, surprisingly different from Queen City. At risk of sounding snobbish (though we’re way past that), coffee is not just coffee. There is no “one size fits all“. Sweet Bloom’s — name apropos — Colombian and Ethiopian Hometown Blend, I’ve found is, well, sweeter than Queen City’s Colombian Maria Eugenia Rodriguez and delivers less of a “punch“, but nonetheless makes for a very smooth and enjoyable cortado.
Denver is also host to Corvus Coffee Roasters, on Broadway, in between Mexico and Colorado (I’m talking about avenues — otherwise this sentence makes no sense whatsoever). Although I’ve been a handful of times, admittedly I’m not as familiar with the plethora of roasts Corvus offers. However, I can attest that they make a pretty darn good cortado as well. As I’ve been told, cortados are supposedly a great way of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of different coffee shops. I can so far agree.
Lately, my beans of choice have been the Mexican Finca Muxbal from Queen City, which has tasting characteristics of vanilla bean and cacao nibs. My mornings have become considerably more enjoyable with a hot cup of Finca Muxbal brewed with my AeroPress.
Oh lord…the AeroPress. I haven’t even mentioned the never-ending coffee accoutrements one can purchase. The AeroPress, V60, Hario Switch, Chemex, all kinds of grinders, brewers, kettles, tools, and machines…Talk about another expensive hobby…
I won’t even utter the words “espresso machine”.
For now, I’ll just appreciate and savor another cup of coffee.
Down the rabbit hole I go… *
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* For more examples, see the 1865 novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll