Café Medina in Vancouver has become an early torch bearer of a new coffee trend that at first invites skepticism: mixing coffee and tonic. Medina’s new Coffee Tonic is an artisan coffee soda, made in-house, that combines cold carbonated coffee with a touch of the...
Back when I first started this column, I ran a list of five coffee shops that weren’t just coffee shops. From the Portland haunted house to the Spokane tech center to the Vancouver men’s clothing store, each added an element beyond coffee, whether that was of...
Layer upon layer of lemony citrus complicates the caraway-flavored base liquor that anchors Old Ballard Liquor Co.’s Alskar Aquavit Citron. Similarly to the increasing number of gins whose supporting herbs and spices quite nearly take center stage alongside the...
Trick or treat—the end of October is back already! With National Chocolate Day tomorrow and Halloween on Friday, it’s a good time to stock up on the chocolate form of caffeine. And whether you’re sharing with friends or keeping it all to yourself, it’s nice to...
Continuing to highlight vodkas that play up the flavors of their base rather than obscure them, Bainbridge Organic Distillers’ Legacy Organic Vodka joins the list. Bainbridge’s meticulous "grain to glass" process results in a complex spirit that defies perceptions...
A trend on the rise: beer blending. The phenomenon has been gaining steam, with breweries, savvy bartenders and even some home mixologists concocting fusions between different barrels, bottles or beers on tap. It’s a simple process—simply select two or more beers...
Two spirits aficionados, Peter Szilard and Gwydion Stone, have joined forces for their Stone & Szilard Distilling project in Seattle. One of their initial efforts is the Foxtrot Gin, a classic London dry style that takes tasters through a time-lapse of...
Weed coffee is back in the spotlight. While the cannabis cold brew you heard about in July is still fighting for approval from the state of Washington, Seattle cannabis lifestyle shop and event hub Trichome has begun putting on tastings of pour-over coffee brewed...
At the first sip of Ransom’s “The Vodka,” it’s unmistakable: this is not a clear spirit distilled to fade away behind mixers. Though many consider that the mark of a good vodka, The Vodka aims at showcasing the barley flavor it started off with. So while most of...
Following an exploration of international coffee culture in the Northwest through eight cafés, this week’s compilation does the same with seven tea rooms. Tea culture and traditions are incredibly varied, and in our diverse region this is only a smattering of the...
