There’s “coffee” — the generic office brew that tastes stale even when it’s fresh —
and then there’s coffee, an experience worth driving a few miles for. Here are some
of the more exciting ways to perk up the morning, afternoon and beyond.
The Lab Coffee
1703 W. State Street
7 a.m. – 2 p.m. (M-F) | 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Saturday)
As its name implies, North Hyde Park’s The Lab Coffee is a hub of coffee science and brew technology housed in an Art Deco-style converted warehouse. Coffee beans roasted by Zeal Coffee and Blind Tiger Café are served via cold brew, AeroPress (see sidebar) and other space-age options.
Caffeine Roasters
2420 W. Kennedy Blvd.
7 a.m. – 7 p.m. (M-F) | 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. (Sat-Sun)
Caffeine Roasters is making a name for itself at its freshly opened South Tampa roastery with drinks like its Sparkling Coffee, combining sparkling lemonade with espresso. Beans are roasted in house to create adventurous concoctions like the brown-sugar infused Orange Cold Brew. Dogs are welcome at their original Downtown Tampa location (212 E. Cass St.).
Gingerbeard Coffee
1208 E. Kennedy Blvd. #112
6 a.m. – 2 p.m. (M-F) | 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Saturday)
Beards might inspire the name, but nitro cold brews are the stars of the show here. Try a four-glass flight of the rotating brews, or order a whole 16-ounce growler full of nitrogen-infused creamy goodness.
Coffee Trends to Look For:
Nitro-Infused
Coffee with nitrogen might seem extreme, but the foaminess it creates reduces the amount of cream and sugar necessary to sweeten the taste, creating a drink similar to stout beers like Guinness.
Cold Brew
Iced coffee is exactly what it sounds like — hot coffee poured over ice and chilled. Cold-brewed coffee is brewed using cold water from the very beginning, locking in flavor without dilution.
Cascara
Long discarded in the caffeinated world, cascara, the fruit husk covering coffee beans, is making a comeback. With a light, herbal flavor, cascara blurs the line between coffee and tea.
AeroPress
Ready in minutes, AeroPressing creates espresso-strength coffee via the power of air compression and micro-filters for a richer, lighter flavor.
