A Decaffeinated Coffee Shop: A Halloween Horror Story?
At the end of last week the baristas of one temporary coffee shop in New York served their last espresso and closed the doors of the one-time gas station. The coffee shop had signalled the onset of the apocalypse; was the embodiment of hipsterism gone mad; was a modern day horror story for Halloween, and could force the ‘city that never sleeps’ to get some much needed shut eye.
Worse than that, it was run by a couple of “Canadian weirdos”.
Yet the coffee shop wasn’t that different in appearance or menu: Espressos, flat whites and cappuccinos were available to order and the interior had chairs, tables and ample lighting. It was a coffee shop.
Given that Manhattan has over two-hundred Starbucks outlets, around 130 Dunkin’ Donut stores and a myriad of independent and artisan third-wave coffee shops, what made this one so different?
It was a decaffeinated only coffee shop. Yes, you read right: This coffee shop, operated by Swiss Water, served nothing but decaf.
Admittedly, perhaps it being a self-styled “sensory experience” entitled ‘The Art of Coffee Without Caffeine’ did little to endear itself to the general coffee drinking New Yorker, but the intentions were pure to say the least.
“We are trying to show people who don’t drink caffeine that they can still enjoy a great tasting cup of coffee, without [caffeine],” a company spokesperson told The Washington Post.
And that’s true. Not everybody needs caffeine; some people are hypersensitive to the stimulant and some people typically stay clear of coffee in the afternoons and evenings. It’s why we’ve been advocates of having a decaffeinated option on hand and why we take pride in sourcing some of the best decaffeinated coffee around.
Take our Fairtrade Decaffeinated Blend. Sourced from plantations in Brazil and Colombia, the blend has delicate notes of biscuit, a fruity acidity and a lovely sweetness akin to caramel and brown sugar. Safe to say, it’s delicious and suitable to be drunk on early mornings, late nights and all times in-between!
So here’s to decaffeinated coffee!