Coffee

Going bananas for coffee in Nashville

by Alex Hawkins

Hey, guys! It’s your friendly neighborhood Alex back from spring break! I’m feeling great after getting to go home to Texas and seeing my family. As you guys have followed me on my quest to find some of the best local coffee shops that me and my friends love to go to, I think I’ve found my favorite one in Nashville, Tennessee. So, buckle up, creampuffs! We’re headed to the urban jungle.

Just outside of Downtown Nashville, you’ll find 12 South. 12 South is like this strip of restaurants, coffee shops, stores and even cookie shops that tourists and locals alike love to go to. You’ll see owners walking their pets, cute babies getting pushed in strollers, attractive runners running down the street…OK maybe that last one was my opinion. Anyway, out of the three coffee shops that I went to on 12 South, Frothy Monkey was my favorite.

Frothy Monkey 12 South

Nestled on the block between a boutique called Moda and a grass plot, which in the fall is a pumpkin patch, Frothy Monkey is a chain of local coffee shops found only in Tennessee. The one on 12 South is the first Frothy Monkey location and one of the first businesses on 12 South.

12 South Pumpkin Patch

This isn’t like any other coffee shop that you’ve ever been to. Frothy Monkey serves some of the weirdest coffee combinations you could ever think of, such as the monkey mocha and golden monkey. Not to mention they serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.

The monkey mocha (my favorite) is its signature mocha drink, so it has all the components of a regular mocha but with a twist. Instead of only having chocolate syrup like in a normal mocha, Frothy Monkey puts chocolate syrup and BANANA syrup. When you try it for the first time, it is a little weird tasting banana in coffee, but then it’s like, “Hey! This is actually really good!”

Breakfast at Frothy Monkey with a cup of monkey mocha

My friend David’s favorite is the golden monkey. It’s pretty weird because this cup of coffee contains “golden turmeric milk, honey, topped with cinnamon and turmeric root.” Not my cup of joe personally, but David really likes it.

If you have a coffee shop that you really love and is different than most, tell me about it in the comments below. Who knows, the next post could be about it!

Until next time, friends…Keep it kinda classy!

Coffee that comes from the Land Down Under

by Alex Hawkins

G’day, mates! It’s your friendly, neighborhood Alex back again for another round of coffee! My next post comes from one of my friends who I have had the pleasure of having in some of my classes here at Lipscomb. Not to mention, she reads my posts every week.

Annie is a nursing major from Chicago, Illinois, and also a coffee appreciator like me. She’s a great friend and also does not mind (most of the time) that I drag her with me around Nashville. In the winter of 2017, she had the opportunity to visit her cousins in Melbourne, Australia, and she was introduced to this local Melburnian coffee shop in her travels.

Photo from TripAdvisor

“Dark Horse on the Brit was the place my cousins would take me every morning before we would explore the rest of Melbourne,” said Annie. “It was always packed! I never knew that you could pack that many people into a small space in the strip mall. The environment is very family and pet-friendly. I loved seeing all the dogs with their owners in the morning.”

Photo from TripAdvisor

Annie was telling me that her favorite drink from Dark Horse on the Brit was a plain cappuccino. She said that it tasted milkier and creamier than the Starbucks version she gets from her local Starbucks. Not to mention, it also serves really good food. Why are most things that we love to eat or drink always better is another country?

“I flew 22 hours for a cup of coffee…and to see my cousins.”

So, friends (or should I say “mates”?), if you have a favorite coffee shop, and tell me all about it. It might get put up on here if you leave it in the comments below! Also, if you wouldn’t mind doing the poll below so I know what you guys want me to for the next post. It would be greatly appreciated!

Until next time…Keep it kinda classy!

Ohio coffee? Let’s go!

by Alex Hawkins

When I was deciding if I wanted to pursue a communications minor, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I could incorporate that with a biology degree. I needed to talk about it with someone who had some experience in the field, so naturally, I went to my RA who, conveniently, is a journalism major. Thanks to Olivia, I am now a communications minor and am now sharing about her favorite coffee shop to share with you guys.

The Coffee Peddlar

My awesome RA was telling me about this local coffee shop in her Ohio hometown of Harrison called The Coffee Peddlar. It’s in downtown Harrison and has a really cute storefront. It is a community-oriented coffee shop where the baristas know who you are and what you what to drink. I’m also told that it has some inspirational quotes and interesting drawings on its chalkboard.

“It’s a fun place to hang out,” said Olivia. “I would meet my friends there and we would study there, or we would grab something to drink and just talk. My favorite thing to order there is the frozen hot chocolate, even if it cost me $5 for a cup.”

The Coffee Peddlar doesn’t just specialize in coffee, but also hosts local art shows and will occasionally have a live musician. Olivia also tells me that the coffee shop celebrates “national pajama day,” when everyone who wears their pajamas to the coffee house will get a free cup of coffee.

Thanks, Olivia, for sharing your favorite coffee shop with me even though you don’t drink coffee! If you have a secret coffee house that you like to go to, tell me all about it! Tell me what your favorite drink is and where to find it too. Also, a little thought for fun, if someone narrated your life, who would you want to narrate it? Until next time… Keep it kinda classy!