Solid Grounds, Littleton

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As far as I know, Solid Grounds is the first coffee shop I have visited that brews Kaladi Brothers coffee.

The thermometer is creeping upward on a path that marks destruction for sanity around the Northern Hemisphere. People everywhere are scurrying for refuge, for a place of tranquility, for a rock under which to hide. Of course, the problem with rocks is that snakes and various other creepy crawlies have known the secret undersides of rocks for generations. I don’t know about you, but my search for peace would be quickly overthrown at the appearance of anything slimy, slithery, or bearing an exoskeleton. Luckily, I found none of these at Solid Grounds. My refuge of choice was that of friendship and board games. Solid Grounds is the perfect place to congregate, because its second room can easily accommodate multiple small groups or a large group of fifty.

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As far as I know, Solid Grounds is the first coffee shop I have visited that brews Kaladi Brothers coffee. They are a well-known local roaster, and I’ve heard much about them. I asked the barista, Rusty, what he would recommend that was unique. He described a flavored latte that tastes like pancakes with butter and syrup. “it literally tastes like a short stack in your mouth.” Come to think of it, I can’t think of a whole lot of other places where I would put a short stack. I asked, “what is it called?” He answered, “a flavored latte.” Originally, it was invented as a steamer, which is just milk and flavoring, but was later made into a latte. He said that it was actually better as a steamer – which was not encouraging for a coffee hater like me.

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The coffee flavor was very strong, but not with nasty coffeeness; a bit sweet, slightly buttery, and bitter. There was just enough sweetness to offset the bitter coffee, without covering it up. Despite all of the hype, I didn’t really think of pancakes at first. Maybe it was a bit like pancakes drenched in coffee, but not in butter and syrup. I drank the whole twelve ounces, but never did taste the maple. The flavor was mostly coffee and cream – as is common with lattes.

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The second drink I tried was the Chocolate Espresso Bean Blended Latte. It was promoted prominently on the menu board, and is the very first iced coffee drink I’ve attempted. The concoction was invented another Solid Grounds barista, Micah. The uniqueness of the drink comes from ground espresso beans that are blended into the iced espresso. The mixture is then deposited into a chocolate-drizzle-lined cup, and topped with whipped cream.

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It was strong! There was really no comparison on the flavor. I could not say at all what it tasted like. However, …it made me think of Legos®. Strange. I know. Growing up I was always of the opinion that boy toys were more fun, and Legos® were particularly fascinating to me. I enjoyed playing with them often, but they had a way of make indelible impressions… on my feet. Having younger siblings, there were always plastic bits and pieces lying in wait for the pain of my toes and tender foot tendons. That’s kinda how the Chocolate Espresso Bean Blended Latte was. It was fun, as are most things covered in whipped cream and chocolate, but it had a sharp flavor that served well to bring me back to my coffee-hating reality. But even then, the emotions and sensations that it evoked were varied and colorful. Despite the unpleasant graininess, I found it to be sweet and whimsical, as are my fond Lego® memories.

One of my compadres asked, “Is it good? I don’t like coffee.” My emphatic response was, “Then you wouldn’t like this.” I can imagine that it would give a caffeine junkie quite a boost. I remarked after a moment, “I feel really bad that I don’t like this drink.” The baristas Micah and Rusty had praised it so emphatically, that I felt in some way obligated to like it. That’s one interesting aspect of the coffee culture. People take their coffee very personally. If you don’t appreciate the coffee that I make or love, in some way you do not appreciate me. It causes quite a problem with guilt. On the other hand, I’ve been told recently that I am too nice. That hasn’t always been the case, but in order to correct a problem, you must be aware of it. Therefore, I must say: I didn’t like it. (That’s not to say I won’t order it again.) Haha.

Postscript. At the time of this postscript, Solid Grounds has been closed since March 2020 due to Covid-19. I hope they reopen with success as soon as possible. January 30, 2021

ORIGINAL COMMENTS

Anonymous, July 5, 2011 at 5:18 PM
Where is Solid Grounds? You have spiked by curiosity; I have never heard of Kaladi Brothers Coffee, I will have to try some. The flavored latte sounds AWFUL; who want's a latte that tastes like a stack of pancakes? Sounds disgusting! Now the iced coffee drink sounds great! - Lonnie

Rachel E. Casselman, July 7, 2011 at 2:18 PM
http://www.solidgrounds.org
http://kaladi.com
Correction: Kaladi is roasted in Alaska.

Nathan S., July 8, 2011 at 3:27 PM
I imagine that the impact of the Chocolate Espresso Bean Blended Latte would be similar to eating those milk chocolate covered espresso beans. I personally like the kick, but i remember the first time eating them I was thinking to myself as I bit into one "Mmmmmm, chocola--WHOAH THAT'S BITTER!!!!" After a eating them some more I really began to enjoy that bitter kick after the sweetness. I could imagine myself enjoying it, and will probably have to give it a try. By the way, I like the Lego analogy! :)

Anonymous, December 19, 2011 at 11:10 PM
Kaladi brother's is a local roster. There is a Kaladi brother's in Alaska from whom the owner of the Denver locations hails from. SO you were right!

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