It's officially summer and you know what that means!
Shades? On.
SPF? Slathered.
Coffee? Iced.
Well, the coffee's always iced. I've been enjoying trying new shops and experimenting with different types of coffee, so I wanted to do a round-up post of what's new both locally and at our favorite chains, and share what I've been loving lately.
Beany's
Y'all, Beany's has me in its CLUTCHES. This drive-thru spot is located in American Fork (there's a location in Vineyard, Utah, too), making it about an hour-and-a-half round trip. Not only is it way far out of my neck of the woods, but the bumpy dirt roads and diversions thanks to loads of summer construction make the drive feel like something out of Mad Max: Fury Road.
But it is more than worth it, thanks to one of the June monthly specials called the Campfire Cold Brew, a caramel cold brew with toasted marshmallow cold foam. When I trekked to this spot a few weeks ago, I ordered two CCB's to stash one in the fridge for the next day. A girl's got to stock up. I joke about the drive, but it really has been fun to blast some music and go on a mini road trip to snag this delicious drink. This is a COVID-19 summer and we've got to find joy where we can, right? I can't wait to see what specials Beany's has in the future, and I'll be sure to look out for these tasty cold brew variations.
Bad Ass Coffee
Speaking of finding joy, I was so delighted to learn that the new Bad Ass Coffee location I had been eyeing for months opened its doors. I stopped by a few weeks ago and felt truly emotional stepping into a coffee shop for the first time in months (masked up and with loads of hand sani, of course). I still don't feel quite comfortable spending hours in a public place - I'm reeeally missing those long coffee shop sessions - but I did take a moment to enjoy the space (and this fun rainbow donut). I ordered the Monkey Mocha (a latte with dark chocolate and banana), which was delicious and chilled by the shop's signature coffee ice (so your drink doesn't get watered down - genius!) The flavors are unique, and the espresso is strong, folks.
Bad Ass Coffee truly checked all the boxes of a good coffee shop in my book, including the new COVID-19 criteria (baristas wearing masks, socially distanced tables, etc.). The latte menu was extensive; I'm trying to order something new every time I go - so far, in addition to the Monkey Mocha, I've tried the raspberry white mocha and the coconut vanilla latte, both of which were MAJOR winners. Plus, the baristas were so sweet and friendly. The shop also had several outside tables, so I'm thinking about bringing along a book and enjoying some outdoor coffee-shop time soon.
At first I thought Bad Ass Coffee was local (there's another Salt Lake City location), but it turns out it's a chain. I highly recommend checking it out if there's a location near you. This is truly my new favorite coffee shop.
Beans and Brews
Since cold brew has been on my radar (see my gushing about the Campfire Cold Brew from Beany's, above), I was psyched to see that local favorite Beans and Brews had a new Cold Brew Coffee with Coconut Cold Foam (say that ten times fast!) on the menu. I've also learned recently that you can get a variety of flavors in the foam, including almond, banana, cookie dough and more. Yum!
The cold brew part of the drink was strong and tasty (it reminded me of when I make black coffee at home and pour it over ice), but I didn't taste many notes of coconut (do I sound like a fancy wine-taster?) until I really mixed the foam into the coffee. I'd be curious to try this with a stronger flavor in the foam. Maybe the coconut is overpowered by the strong cold brew? Either way, it's a nice strong drink that packs a punch (not to mention much cheaper than a latte, another benefit of cold brew!).
Starbucks also has a new addition to their cold brew menu: Cold Brew with Dark Cocoa Almondmilk Foam. This drink has been tricky to track down (it doesn't show up on my app, so I'm wondering if it's not available at my go-to location yet), but it's next on my list of drinks to try. I'm intrigued by the non-dairy foam option, as well as how the sweet cocoa flavor will interact with the strength of the cold brew.
Thanks for reading, and wash your hands!
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