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What does "Mugged" mean?Subject: Crescent Moon Coffee & Tea
Coffee Mugged: El Salvador Los Milagros
Rating: 5+ [see key]
Good coffee produced from a quality farm always hits jolly on the spot. Many times, the desire to do right for the coffee producers and harvesters falls under the tires of horrific roasting (so many coffee companies dedicated to social justice never seem to roast well) and hence, so often the hunt for quality taste overwhelms the quest for coffee traded fairly.
But coffees such as Crescent Moon Coffee & Tea's El Salvador Los Milagros restore my hope that just coffee can be roasted just right. The coffee comes from a woman-owned cooperative that is also USDA organic and bird friendly. I first took notice of it on an Independent Coffee Cooperative flier and made a point to try it out.
Fortunately, I landed a pound and excitedly made my way home to try it out. I had it via french press, vacuum press and drip, each one a bit different but all of them similarly wonderful. The french press proved the most luminous, with a strong taste of honey and hints of flowering grass and apple with a subtle earthiness. The vacuum press and drip also produced similar results, both equally refreshing and lovely.
Overall, I savored every cup of Los Milagros and am glad to see such a tremendous coffee offered all over Philadelphia. If you're looking for a good sustainable Central American coffee, give Crescent Moon's Los Milagros a try.
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What's does "CC" mean?Location visited: Washington, DC
Free WiFi ? : yesRating: 6+ [see key]How far would you walk for amazing coffee? I would bank that on my daily routine, I would be ok with a ten block walk (with a block equaling on average of 271 ft) out of the way to grab good coffee and a 2 mile hike every once in a while.
In my past visit to DC, my one friend lamented that he found a truly excellent coffeehouse that was not only way out of his normal travels but was also a bit of a hike from the nearest metro stop (Union Station). This distant gem he called Sova and on on my latest visit, he insisted a stop.
Trusting my wise friend, we made our way to the Sova, a modest tan, brick store front accented with maroon. Inside, the place really opens up into an extremely gorgeous two-story cafe, complete with various arrays of really splendid furniture and decor (seriously one of the nicest layouts I've seen).
The coffee comes from Intelligentsia (not as common in DC, but still familiar). First on my order was an espresso that displayed condensed milk, hints of pear and lemonade as well as a speckling of nutmeg. As for their drip/pressed coffee, they were out of Intelly that day, but they served me up a delightful organic Ethiopian from Counter Culture that had a tart blueberry smash up front, with a balanced tea-like body and a beautiful smoothness. The tea is free leaf and they also have an extensive wine bar on the second floor.
After soaking the Sova experience in fully, I would definitely walk out of my way to stop in. If you're looking for an amazing coffeehouse and possibly a little exercise, than go to Sova.
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Got a heads up from thinkmore on this interesting coffeehouse in Tokyo that serves coffee aged as long as thirty years (seems to be a trend gaining momentum, like aged liquor once did).
In one of my blog readings, I stumbled across this website called the Cafe Circuit that is dedicated to a couple of baristas' western coffee pilgrimage via motorcycle posse.
The website is quite well-done and the reading well worth it. I have to say I wish I could fit a trip like that in while the weather is fine.
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What's does "CC" mean?Location visited: Washington, DC
Free WiFi ? : yesRating: 4+ [see key]Ethiopia has always been a country that has interested me. One of the few African countries that never really endured colonial rule, Ethiopia has stood the test of time with thousands of years of rich history. Of that history, one topic of great interest to me is that Ethiopia is the championed birth place of coffee.
But alas, my low funds have kept me from a trip to Africa and so when I decided to make a stop in DC to visit a friend, I was intrigued when he suggested we visit an Ethiopian coffeehouse called Sidamo.
Located east of Union Station on H Street, Sidamo stands out with a huge ceramic pot jutting out over their open storefront windows. Inside, the cafe has a long layout with nice exposed brick, beautiful pieces of art and a gorgeous garden patio in the back.
The coffee is roasted in-house and all sourced from Ethiopia (at least that's what I interpreted). I had a decent cup of their Ethiopian Sidamo that demonstrated a bright cinnamon, cherry-esque coffee that was just a tad too dark and had minor hints of cardboard. The espresso faired decently as well, with a short pull producing hints of white chocolate, a buttery texture, fair crema and a bit of a bitter bite on the end. The tea is free leaf.
While I wasn't blown away, I really savored my experience at Sidamo. It's rare to find a coffeehouse based on one country's coffee and plus, the people there were super nice. Hopefully, the place keeps getting better as it seems to have a lot of potential.
If you happen to be around, give Sidamo a swirl.
