Red Frog Coffee, Longmont
“So far, everyone that tries it loves it.”
I would never have expected success. The long week was coming a close with a long drive into nowhere. I had an idea in the back of my mind that somewhere on the road to nowhere, I would stop for coffee. After all - I rarely make it to nowhere.
Ok, that’s not entirely fair. Longmont is not exactly nowhere, but after the seemingly endless drive across prairie, beneath an expansively blue, cloud dotted sky, my heart leapt when I once again approached civilization. Buildings reared up suddenly to the left, and I quickly found myself passing the unobtrusive little Red Frog Coffee.
Upon entering, I was greeted by a very infectious smile. Emily, who owns Red Frog Coffee, along with her brother, had an immediate suggestion. The Mexican Mocha. She described it as having a spicier chocolate, with cinnamon, almond, and vanilla.
As she prepared it, I mentioned my blog. When she learned that I don’t like coffee, she said of the Mexican Mocha, “So far, everyone that tries it loves it.” This I was happy to hear!
They get their coffee from Kind Coffee – a coffee roaster in Estes Park. All of the coffee is organic, free trade, and shade grown. I showed my complete coffee ignorance by asking what quality the shade added to the beans. Emily graciously informed me that shade-grown does not mean it is purposefully planted in the shade. Rather, it refers to the fact that there has been no de-forestation to make room for the crop. Now I know.
My Mexican Mocha tasted of coffee and cinnamon. I was surprised at how well the two complimented one another. In fact, I could not even taste the chocolate at first.
It may be that my good friend chocolate was hiding beneath the obvious flavor palette, facilitating my introduction to this new drink, but it was not overt. The coffee was slightly spicy, with a taste not unlike the Red Hots® you may have eaten as a child. It was a sort of sweet cinnamon. Underneath was the delicate almond and vanilla that soothed my taste buds after the long drive. Both the shop and the drink fit the day perfectly. It was fun and spirited. Strangely, one of the features that impressed me the most was the creative river stone tiling along the counter. It seemed meant to add a little skip and a jump – like a red frog perhaps?
Upon leaving, I took a cup of their house blend coffee. Emily recommended it over the stronger brew available. She asked, “are you going to put cream in it,” and when I responded to the negative, she said, “You’re awesome! I love that you’re doing that!” I really enjoy sharing my experiences with others. Sometimes their excitement exceeds my own.
The house blend smelled like a traditional brew, but a bit more rounded – not quite as sharp.It’s a bit hard to describe.Unfortunately, it was not my favorite. The bitter taste was not necessarily burnt, but very black and perhaps charred in the aftertaste.I became aware of the time, and my impending appointment. This little adventure had to be cut short. I cannot say whether I would have enjoyed it more if I had given it the time.It is possible, but more likely I still have quite a way to go before I can truly appreciate coffee properly.
http://www.redfrogcoffee.com
http://www.kindcoffee.com
ORIGINAL COMMENTS
Brent, December 14, 2013 at 2:39 PM
This is my favorite coffee shop in the Longmont area. Since my office has a good espresso machine, I'm not there as often but I still buy espresso beans at RedFrog.
Like you, I never really liked coffee until I started working in the SGI datacenter and was introduced to good espresso. The inhabitants of the datacenter always brought in our own coffee rather than using the company-supplied beans. And I found that espresso doesn't have to have a bitter, angry flavor.
One of my favorite ways to have espresso is to tamp your favorite good espresso in the espresso-machine cup, then add a spoonful of brown sugar, tamp again, then pull the shot - poured into steamed half 'n half. Mmmmmmm. Good stuff...
