You, Me, and Caffeine

The search for the best Mocha in Durham, North Carolina

I have decided to take a break from my usual writing topics and focus on something that is near and dear to my heart. Coffee!

Since moving to Durham, I have struggled to find good coffee in the city. Now, I am no coffee aficionado, but I do know what good coffee and bad coffee taste like. So this is a new blog series where I try at least one new coffee shop a week in the search to find the best coffee shop in Durham. I will be looking into three aspects of the coffee shop: atmosphere, prices, and most importantly, the coffee. My go to coffee order is an Iced Coffee with vanilla and almond milk creamer, but I think the best way to accurately rate shops is on the classic mocha.

The Mocha is a simple yet complex drink that is a go to for many people. It is a delicate balance of chocolate and espresso with a generous helping of milk foam. Each of the three main ingredients must be perfectly made or the whole drink will be thrown out of balance. To me, it is a make it or break it drink that defines a coffee shop.

Other factors that matter to me in coffee shops is the pricing and the atmosphere. Pricing is an important factor because no one really wants to spend more than five dollars on a bad cup of coffee. If I wanted a bad cup of coffee, I would have made it at home and saved money. No, people pay for the convenience of not having to make their own coffee and for it to be better than what they have at home. This aspect of being better than home brings me to the last factor: atmosphere.

The space in which you drink and enjoy coffee is important. For me, I go for a relaxing place to drink and be productive. I don't like it to be too personal but not overly busy as well. Small crowded spaces are a no go as well, especially while still living in a pandemic. I know that many people prefer to work at coffee shops as a way to change their surroundings to incite more productive work, and others use it as a social hangout. But for this review, I will mostly be looking at the people to space ratio and overall decor theme.

So far I have a small list of the places I want to try near me:

• Mad Hatter Cafe and Bake Shop

• Cloche Coffee

• Cocoa Cinnamon

• The Parlour

• EverLou Coffee Co.

• Jetplane Coffee

• Press Coffee Crêpes & Cocktails

Join me on my search for the best mocha in Durham!