Favorite Coffee Drink

 
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Round K’s Egg Cappuccino 

Alex Chester

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I’m a coffee snob. I have my own Nespresso machine and I make my own coffee drinks. If I’m not drinking my coffee black (like my soul), then you’ll find me sipping a dirty chai latte at home, but what I dream about is Round K’s Egg Cappuccino. Yes, there is an egg yolk in it. No, it does not taste like egg. It is, however, so creamy and decadent.


Black coffee

Olivia Chen

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I also like cold brew with some vanilla or something, but this is what I drink most days. 


Every day, Black 

Mei Edwards

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For every day: black; while traveling in another country: whatever is traditional to the region/how locals drink it, but I’ll always try it black first.  


Red eye

Lauren Hardie

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My coffee “snob” progression goes something like this: coffee-flavored sweet things (cakes, ice cream, liquor), then unlimited diner coffee (plenty of sugar and creamer), then Starbucks multisyllabics (example: grande soy dirty chai lattes). You might notice an upward motion toward a young woman’s perception of sophistication. The drop-off started when I worked an office job in Seoul from 2012-2015. Mornings began (and lunches ended) with Americanos — sometimes four or five a day — no sugar, no milk, half the water. I returned to the States and rapidly descended into bitter territory (cheap, black, as hot as possible). Earlier this week I ordered my first red eye (with a double shot) and banged out five hours of uninterrupted work. friends: help me. What’s darker than a red eye?


Mexican Spiced Mocha

Autumn Henry

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I had barely touched a cup of coffee by the time I met my would-be husband Ari. My parents were coffee drinkers and my earliest associations of morning’s brown hot water addiction was mostly that bitter brewing smell of 1980s coffee pots filling my nostrils as I ate my cereal and the poop breath I smelled as my parents kissed me goodbye. Thanks, no thanks. Then, during one random fancy brunch in Mexico City (to celebrate three weeks of rough backpacking) I decided to try the buffet’s cafe con leche. There were cups next to a large hot hand hammered vat of thick syrupy coffee that was meant to be ladled out and mixed with equal parts milk to create the perfect temped comforting beverage. It was spiced with cinnamon, cayenne and cardamom for sure. Its syrupy quality was not only due to the dark chocolate mixed in but the potency of the coffee — beyond espresso. I was in love, but ruined. I would search five years to no avail for a barista who could replicate my experience. I would (probably pathetically and with amateur coffee language) recall the elements of this exotic cafe con leche while patrons with more basic coffee musings waited behind me. 

And then I met Ari. We had friends in common. We had gone on a date where I had totally fallen in love with him listening to tales of his broken home adventures and trading favorite musical influences, but we weren’t dating. So, I was left to the devices of any love stricken older young woman— I tracked him down at work. He worked at a coffee shop (ironically for me) named Cafe Moka. If I recall correctly, there were a few fruitful visits when he wasn’t working and I was left to order a safe green tea, but there came a day when the stars aligned and I walked in there and said, “hello” like I was surprised to see him (of course) and launched into my cutest, most elaborate (to keep his attention, duh) request for my beloved mocha cafe con leche. Who knows what he thought of all my words — he’s a black coffee guy. He proceeded to make me a disgusting version of my dream drink all while I stared longingly at his black curls and guitar/bass/barista hands. It was bitter, watery, and way too spicy, but I loved him for trying, and I drank that shit.

Note: Twelve years later and with lots of noble experimentation, Ari can make me any beverage.  


Mocha

Rebecca Lee Lerman

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I am reiterating what I said in the Issue 008 Staff Picks regarding Chocolate Milk Boba Tea… but… Mocha has chocolate in it. Enough said!


Vanilla Frappuccino

Nathan Liu

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I like milkshakes. And Frappuccinos are basically milkshakes. 


Cappuccino

Matt Park

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I like to make it myself. It tastes better and I don’t have to wait in line.


NY-style Latino bodega coffee

Gen Parton Shin

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In Washington Heights (a Latinx heavy neighborhood in Manhattan) when you say “dos azucar,” they give you 2 TABLESPOONS of sugar! You can also say “light and sweet.” The sugar is best served with Bustello and warm milk.


Just Coffee Coop Cold Brew

Melissa Slaughter

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I have written before about my obsession with coffee, and my love for Blue Bottle coffee. (Please sponsor us, Blue Bottle!) I love all coffee: drip, French press, Americano, cappuccino, latte, dirty chai. Today I’m here to wax poetic about my current coffee bae: Just Coffee Coop Cold Brew. I’ve been getting their coffee as a subscription for a few months and it’s a dream. Their coffee is fair trade, organic, locally made in Madison, WI, and very well-priced. Their Cold Brew Blend is my summer lover. I brew cold brew in my French press every week and its rich, chocolatey flavors are the main thing getting me through this record summer heat. This isn’t a sponsored ad, but Just Coffee, if you wanted to sponsor Hapa Mag and my coffee addiction, please reach out! 


SweetLeaf VooDoo Child

Lauren Nakao Winn

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SweetLeaf’s (of LIC & Greenpoint) signature drink, the VooDoo Child, is a Vietnamese-style coffee, combining cold brew and condensed milk. Unlike many Vietnamese coffee purveyors that rely on the sweetness of the condensed milk for flavor and use poor quality coffee as their base, SweetLeaf’s cold brew is made from Arabica beans and roasted in house. It’s so creamy, strong, and delicious, I limit how often I get it: always on my birthday, when close friends are in town, and to celebrate a major photoshoot!