Higher Grounds Café, Golden
When I had asked about specialty drinks, the barista said something vague about being able to make any flavor I wanted.
Peaches ‘n’ Cream? Seriously?
There’s a strange thought that comes to me occasionally. Who was the first person to eat that? What was he thinking when he saw this roundish white thing come out of a chicken, and decided to eat it? How did the first cheese maker figure out that this particular thing, laden with a specific bacterial culture, and added to stuff that comes out of a cow (or goat), would make a semi-solid food? It seems that people with eat anything. I was just wondering to myself the other day… who decided to take a coffee cherry, dry it, roast it, grind it up, pour water through it, and drink it? I suppose people have been boiling herbs and leaves since the beginning of the culinary arts, but that process seems quite extensive for an initial discovery. My own discovery was not borne of any such deliberation. I’m pretty sure it came from sheer boredom and creativity run amok.
A Peaches ‘n’ Cream latte. That’s what she said. When I had asked about specialty drinks, the barista said something vague about being able to make any flavor I wanted. I pressed her on the point, asking what she liked. As is typical, she mentioned a caramel machiatto or a vanilla latte. Boring. I then asked, “is there anything unique that people like to order?” That’s what I deserved, I suppose, and once the challenge had been issued, I could not refuse.
When I told my friends, I got strange glances and a whispered, “that sounds disgusting.” The comment mirrored my own concerns. It smelled very much as advertised. A bit afraid, I lingered as long as possible before I took the first sip.
At first, I didn’t know whether to be relieved or disappointed. The latte was of a very mellow flavor. Though it contained both White Chocolate and White Peach flavoring, I could really only taste a creamy sweet coffee flavor. It was fairly indistinct, much like other lattes I have tried. Though I could taste the coffee quite strongly, it was not overpowering. This was the sort of drink that I have come to be able to tolerate. I can’t say that I like it, per se, but I can drink it. I wish it weren’t so. Millions of people around the world drink lattes with frivolous abandon. I consider lattes wimpy. It seems only a clever way to mask true coffee flavor. It is what people drink who claim to love coffee, but cannot stand the taste of anything darker than a buttermilk pancake. If this is the enjoyment I am relegated to, I will be very disappointed in myself.
As I sat thinking these deeply philosophical thoughts, I smiled at the whimsical artwork displayed along the walls and ceiling. Higher Grounds is a pleasant little shop perched on the side of a hill near Historical Downtown Golden. Its location makes an ideal hangout for local college students, and seems well-suited for the purpose. For me, it was a nice retreat on the way into town from a quick visit to the Rocky Mountains.
The wind blew softly, clouds drifted overhead, and simple joy cleared all thoughts of a stormy holiday from our minds. What better day to enjoy coffee and good company?
Higher Grounds Café brews Allegro coffee. I don’t know whether I have tried it previously. To give it a fair taste test, I asked for a cup of the medium brew. Unfortunately it was closing time, so I could not, in all fairness, expect the coffee to be fresh. It wasn’t. The coffee, called Hawaiian, tasted and smelled a bit like straw. There was a slightly fruity taste, but I couldn’t exactly put my finger on it.
The initial taste had a sharp bitter bite to it, and though it was called medium, it seemed to be very darkly roasted. After a few moments, the aftertaste calmed, with a caramelized nuance. I was very glad for that, since most coffees do not seem to have anything subtle about them. However, one thing I hate about a decent aftertaste, is that eventually you have to take another sip, which ruins the effect entirely. Haha. I gave up on the coffee eventually, but concentrated one last time of any other flavors I might have missed. It is possible, just maybe, that I detected a bit of nuttiness. I’m not sure if it was in the drink, or in my head. I have high hopes for Allegro. Perhaps we can become better acquainted in the future.
