Coffee fans, take notice: Tuesday, September 29 is National Coffee Day. The coffee game has become a pretty lucrative business in South Florida, with a number of boutique roasters and independent coffee houses recently opening their doors. According to the National Coffee Association, coffee is second only to water as Americans’ favored daily beverage, with 59 percent of Americans 18 years and up drinking java daily.
South Florida is no stranger to the java grind, with a number of favorite coffee spots dotting the map, with plenty of coffee-themed events to celebrate the day. Here’s a look at our favorite places to grab a cup of joe.
For all the hype that surrounds artisanal roasted beans and slow-poured cups of joe, there is something to be said for the classics. Café con leche is not so much a coffee style, but rather part of a lifestyle. And no one does it better than West Palm Beach’s haven of Cuban fare, Havana (they also make one of the best Cuban sandwiches in town, but I digress). Frothy and sweet, Havana’s café con leche is to be savored, a treat for the senses regardless of time of day—Havana’s 24-hour walk-up window pours coffee all day and night. Need something a little stronger? The café Cubano will surely put some pep in your step.
Wake up and smell the coffee: Aromas of freshly roasted beans are wafting through the air from Boca to Tequesta. |
Siphon Brewing Method at Oceana Photo by LibbyVision |
One of Palm Beach County’s first boutique coffee roasters—doing things before they become on-trend—Oceana Coffee in Tequesta is still at it, now not just roasting, but brewing with the best of them. The recently opened US 1 coffee lounge in Tequesta has quickly become the juiced java junkie’s North County haunt. Pouring brews from an array of house-roasted beans sourced from the world’s best growing regions—many of which are certified organic, rainforest alliance, shade-grown, bird-friendly, sustainably grown, and fair trade—the coffee offered here is as fresh as fresh can be, shipped to Tequesta while still green, then roasted on sight at their Tequesta roasting facility (just a few blocks down from the lounge).
Despite popular misconception, coffee does have a shelf life—depending on roast level, coffee beans have one to three months of peak freshness; if they have been ground, you have seven days. The freshness is abundantly clear when taking a sip of Oceana’s coffee: rich and deep, the roasts range from floral and fruity to dark chocolate and nutty with hints of smokiness. And that’s just if you’re brewing at home.
Latte Art | Photo by LibbyVision
The roaster’s coffee lounge is a great place to grab a cappuccino, latte, or espresso, sit back and enjoy the company of fellow coffee lovers. Set up in a true lounge fashion, it is not just a great place to grab a cup of coffee, but also an educational—and competitive—forum as well. Monthly and weekly events offer a definitive culinary edge to the lounge, like the Java and Juice: Nose Candy pairings event scheduled for Friday, September 25, and will feature expertly paired bites from Hampton Forks, wines from Bulletproof Wine and Spirits, and brews from Oceana Coffee; while a Sunday morning breakfast pop-up featuring Stuart’s Cuisine 256 will feature made-to-order omelets, steak and egg sandwiches, and more, are just a few examples of the unique culinary feats on September 27. The monthly Thursday Night Throwdown, normally held on the last Thursday of the month, pits local baristas and coffee lovers against one another in a no-holds-barred, four minute best latte, best latte art, and most creative coffee concoction competition. Normally held at the Coffee Lounge, this month the coffee competition is hitting the road, brewing the goods at Evernia Coffee House in downtown West Palm Beach on Thursday, September 24. There is a $5 entrant fee for Throwdown contestants, and a $2 fee to take part in the People’s Choice award—you get to taste the concoctions.
Coffee with an independent streak, Harold’s in Northwood Village is a model for a coffee house doubling as community hub. |
Eau Spa’s coffee-infused spa treatments include this coffee bean and raw sugar exfoliating scrub. |
Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa is getting in on the National Coffee Day fun with a day dedicated to caffeinated pampering. Eau Spa will be flexing it’s Forbes Five Star muscle with a handful of treatments that utilize coffee as active ingredients. Treatments like All the Single Lattes Skin Polish ($85), which uses a proprietary exfoliation scrub comprising of artisan roasted coffee, and Livin’ La Vita Mocha Cellulite Reduction Wrap ($185; 60-minute treatment), a restorative treatment that uses caffeine, antioxidants, and massage to reduce the look of cellulite and skin irregularities, harness the uplifting and invigorating powers coffee contains.
If the spa isn’t your thing, sip on the Southern Pick Me Up, a coffee-infused cocktail that goes beyond the Irish coffee. Available at Stir, Temple Orange, and Angle ($14), you can try your hand at home bartender with the recipe here.
Southern Pick Me Up
- 2 oz. Whiskey
- 3/4 oz. Carpano
- 3/4 oz. Baileys
Add ingredients into a pint glass and shake vigorously. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with coffee beans.
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