So many choices, so little time

Lookout Joe in Mt. Lookout has a wonderful coffee bar of sorts. Each day, they have about 6 different coffees, some decaf, to choose from. And the choices vary from day to day. Today, I was torn between the Sumatran Fair Trade Italian Roast and the Tiramisu. The need for a major caffiene boost won me over. I went with the Sumatran. Rich. Bold. I probably would have needed an additional packet of Splenda if I had been drinking it with nothing else to consume, but the chocolate croissant I ordered for breakfast helped sweeten it up. Perfectly.

The nice think about Lookout Joe is that when you order a plain coffee, the first refill is free and then a dollar after that. So, I tried about a half cup of the Tiramisu. Mild. Light. Good drinking coffee when you don't need to be over caffieneated. I also loooove their Highland Grog for this very reason. I could drink cups of it and be happy.

The Sumatran, 3.5 cups. The Tiramisu and their Highland Grog, 4 cups.

Hot chocolate, with a twist

Okay, yeah, this is a coffee blog, but not even I can drink coffee all the time. And since today was Big Sad Day in my department, a mocha just wasn't enough. Full on chocolate was the way to go. And now Starbucks has their new signature hot chokkies. The one that intrigued me was the Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate. If you're one of those salty/sweet, "I like chocolate covered potato chips" type of people, or you put peanuts in your Mountain Dew like one of my former bosses is known to do, then you will like this hot chocolate. It has a unique flavor... Sweet buttery caramel... special sea salt topping... whipped cream. It's quite good, but oh, so bad for you. I ordered a grande and I think I consumed over 600 calories in one beverage. Holy frijoles! Make it a skim and skip the whip and you'll cut 130 calories.

Save this for a bad day. It will help a little. I want to say it's $4.29 or so? I didn't have to pay for it, so I didn't pay attention. It was a treat from a co-worker for Big Sad Day. 4.5 cups.

No Coffee Toffee?

I'm back. My computer died, and as I was job hunting/editing novels, this took a backseat to all of the things that NEEDED to be done. I have so much coffee to revisit and write up, but it will come in time.

Joseph Beth's is an excellent local bookseller with locations in both Cincinnati, OH and Lexington, KY. They also have Bronte Bistro where you can get coffee drinks (or lunch if you so desire). As it was one of the last 80 degree days of the year, I wanted something cold. The barista recommended a blended coffee. I asked about flavorings and she said it had a hint of a chocolate taste to it, otherwise no flavors. So, no Java Julep type stuff here? I'm sure they'd give it to me if I asked for it, but you can't just order something called a Raspberry Grasshopper. You have to order a blended coffee with a shot of raspberry syrup and a shot of mint? Or whatever's in those things.

The blended coffee... Smooth, good, and made my grocery shopping trip much more enjoyable. It doesn't really need extra flavoring. The hint of chocolate was just fine. A medium costs $3.99. 4 out of 5 cups.