Peppermint and eggnog: coffee flavors of winter
“RED CUP DAY,” Nov. 8., marked the beginning of Starbucks’ winter drink season.
Without the arrival of snow typical to other areas, one of the surest ways to mark the change of seasons in Los Angeles is by indulging in one of the winter-themed drinks popping up on menu boards at all of our favorite coffee shops. It’s time for the Pumpkin Spice Lattes to make room for Peppermint Mochas and Eggnog Lattes. And just in time for the holidays, The Original Farmer’s Market also welcomes a new purveyor of coffee.
Green Maya is the Market’s latest coffee purveyor, and it joins six colleagues in caffeinating: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Starbucks, Charlie’s Coffee Shop, Bob’s Coffee and Doughnuts, Coffee Corner and T-Shop.
At Green Maya, it’s coffee, not cups of same, for sale. Customers may purchase bags of coffee beans to brew at home. Although you can’t order a cup to drink on the spot, Marius Daniel Popa, CEO of Green Maya, stands ready to serve samples of their organic specialty coffees. Popa shares that this Green Maya location is serving as a prototype for possible future, full-service Green Maya coffee shops.
Green Maya — which takes its name from a claim by National Geographic that organic specialty coffee was one of the top Mayan foods — harvests its coffee beans from South and Central America. The company’s website promises that all of the products are “fair-trade, coming from sustainable and traceable sources.”
Holiday drinks
With the holidays right around the corner, many local coffee shops are offering tempting new winter-themed specialties. Two shops with the most anticipated offerings are Starbucks and The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and there are plenty of both of these popular businesses to be found in the Larchmont area. A count by the Larchmont Chronicle found there to be approximately 10 Starbucks and seven The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf locations between Western Ave. and Fairfax Ave. and between Melrose Ave. and Olympic Blvd.
“Red Cup Day,” Nov. 8., marked the beginning of Starbucks’ winter drink season, further signified by the company’s transition to serving coffee in festive red cups. Starbucks aficionados took to social media and uploaded pictures of themselves sipping their favorite seasonal drinks with the tag #redcupday. Starbucks’ featured beverages include their popular flavors, Peppermint Mocha, Eggnog and Chestnut Praline.
There are plenty of other coffee shops to curl up in on Larchmont Blvd., including Go Get Em Tiger (230 North) and Groundwork Coffee (150 North). Peet’s Coffee (124 North) is also rolling out a variety of cozy coffee choices including Peppermint Mocha, Pumpkin Latte, Holiday Spice Latte, Dark Chocolate Orange Mocha and Citrus & Spice Latte.
With so many options in the area you’ll be sure to find your favorite festive flavor!
By Julia Stier
Category: Entertainment