Cold & caffeinated
THE BEST BAY AREA ICED ESPRESSO DRINKS
Lemonade only goes so far for grown-ups. Summer is for cold, milky coffee drinks that keep you going from camp drop-off to swim team practice. Even if you don’t have kids, you need an iced espresso drink to stay cool in traffic and meetings — and because it’s just yummy. And cold.
It would be impossible to feature all the unique and delicious drinks around the Bay Area, but here are seven we’re currently sipping from chilly hot spots in San Jose, Oakland and beyond.
Mint Mojito, Philz Coffee
With five locations in the East Bay and nine in the South Bay, Philz offers numerous opportunities to sip its signature, crowd-pleasing Mint Mojito, which has been copied at coffee shops across the bay. The original, a cool and sweet mix of any Philz’s brew (we like it with the cardamom-tinged Philharmonic), comes with fresh mint, sugar and cream or milk, customized to your taste. Find location details at www.philzcoffee.com
Espresso Tonic, Verve
The combination of coffee and quinine started in barista competitions a few years ago, and ever since, the drink has been popping up at cafes around the Bay Area. Verve, which just opened its newest cafe in Palo Alto, keeps it classic by using Fever-tree Tonic (the brand of choice among those competitive baristas) and Verve’s Streetlevel Espresso for a copper-topped, bubbly summer drink. Consider it a summery E&T.
DETAILS >> 162 University Ave, Palo Alto; www. vervecoffee.com
Vietchata, Tealyfe
The Vietnamese Coffee series at this San Jose Vietnam Town tea cafe means there are multiple distinctive ways to get your cold coffee fix. Our fave: the Vietchata, a shot of Vietnamese coffee in a house horchata, made with premium rice, cinnamon and vanilla. There’s also Dark Matter — Vietnamese coffee with Assam black milk tea — and Down to Earth, Vietnamese coffee with matcha. DETAILS >> 989 Story Road, Suite 8018, San Jose; tealyfe.us
Espresso Sparkler, 1951 Coffee Company
Talk about refreshing. This fizzy favorite — a sweet take on the E&T — is made with vanilla, brown sugar and two shots of Cloud King Espresso over sparkling water and ice. The Espresso Sparkler is available at 1951 Coffee Company’s new cafe in Rockridge. The nonprofit specialty coffee spot offers job training and employment to refugees, which makes this a feel-good, as well as tastegood treat.
DETAILS >> 6021 College Ave., Oakland; 1951coffee.com
Rose Cardamom Cold Brew, The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab & Tasting Room
This aromatic and complex nitro cold brew — offered at the new digs of the eminent Emeryville-based green coffee specialist Royal — is brewed with cardamom and rose water for an ethereal flavor combination. If only they sold baklava, eh? We recommend the fruity, clean cold brew with little or no ice to keep it from watering down. DETAILS >> 2523 Broadway, Oakland; royalcoffee.com/ the-crown
The Valencia, Voyager Craft Coffee
OK, it’s truly hard to pick one globally inspired espresso drink at what is arguably the best craft coffee shop in the South Bay. But we’re currently sweet on this orange blossom water-tinged number laced with vanilla, milk and coconut.
DETAILS >> 3985 Stevens Creek Blvd., Santa Clara. Coming soon to San Jose.
Lavender Latte, Coffee Shop
This Contra Costa institution now boasts five locations — Concord, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Danville and Alamo — where you can sip iced versions of its seasonal drinks. The iced Lavender Latte has a surprising kick to it, so think about adding honey to its mix of lavender syrup, espresso and your choice of milk for a bright, floral summer sipper. DETAILS >> coffeeshop411. com