For a sandwich, coffee and a slice of cake, the bill came to more than $25 with tax and tip. The coffee alone was $8. And this is in Chantilly, 30 miles from the expenses of city living.
Just like other niches in craft drinking, coffee today is about the details. Who grows this bean? What tree is planted near this bean? When were the beans roasted? Are the beans all from the same country, farm, estate, exact plot of land? Was it roasted light, medium, dark? Was it yanked after the first crack?
And that’s all before grinding, weighing and deciding on which various method to use for brewing.
Coffee has certainly turned into a thing. And Northern Virginia has taken notice. There are tons of independent coffee shops and local roasters and plenty that do both. In fact, you can spend $50 for a tour of a coffee warehouse/roaster/coffee shop in Springfield.
In the January issue we wrote about these shops, this tour and why exactly coffee has pivoted to a drink with as much nuance and cachet as a glass of wine.
Drink up.
