Houston kicked off it’s second Caffeine Crawl at The Honeymoon Cafe and Bar, home to Boomtown Coffee. Tejas Chocolate joined us for the buzz before the Crawl with samples, and Crawlers grabbed swag bags from Yelp Houston, complete with LOCAL Houston Magazine's latest issue, customized coffee Sleeves from Sleeve a Message, coupons from Boomtown and a sneak peek at Retrospect Coffee Bar. Jason welcomed everyone and Matt gave us insights on Boomtown's roasting & vision while we sipped Cafe au Laits and nibbled beignets.
At Blacksmith, a recreation of David Buehrer’s 2015 US Barista Championship signature drink awaited us, involving El Vado Colombian espresso with orange peel simple syrup and bitters. Catalina Coffee served up cardamom infused cold brew and detailed their initiative as one of Houston’s first specialty shops in 2007, sending us home with Brazilian whole bean samples from Amaya Roasting. Paper Co took it to another level with a culinary presentation from Dave Foong that involved coconut coffee butter on toast, sirloin strip cooked in coffee butter, and coffee infused vodka served with coconut milk as a cocktail, and we left in a delighted daze.
Southside Espresso served a honey processed Costa Rica via drip brew and espresso in intriguing and delicious honey butter macchiatos. We salivated over the smell of the Doughmaker Doughnut’s truck outside Mercantile Montrose, and snagged donuts on our way out after Jonathan’s presentation on Amaya’s seasonal espresso cold brew and the cold brew process. Siphon Coffee wowed with a siphon brewing demonstration, and we tasted freshly brewed and cooled coffee alongside salted chocolate chip cookies.
Eatsie Boys offered steaming cups of coffee and individual scoops of ice cream, and Robin welcomed us with Houston hospitality at Double Trouble Caffeine and Cocktails, where we sipped cold Toddy drinks “as is” or with the addition of house made Kahlua (which rocked.) Crawlers’ last stop meant taking home milk samples from coffee community's local favorite, Mill-King Dairy, including their new “cacow” chocolate flavor. Retrospect Coffee took us to another time and place with a magical fusion of time-honored rituals and modern coffee culture in their soon-to-be-open recycled space, and we participated in a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony while learning of future plans for the cafe.
A big thankyou goes out to all the participating shops and sponsors who made this magic possible, including InterAmerican Coffee, Unic Espresso Engineers, Barista Magazine & The LAB. We can’t wait for year three in Houston!
