In the past few years, my beverage tastes have edged from wine to bourbon to beer and, now, to coffee. I still imbibe and still have far too big of a collection of all of the above than I need, but I love good coffee most of all – especially bright, acidic coffees. Maybe it is that, after having children, my body’s clock has to get used to starting, as a great friend calls it, “in the fives”, but I think that because coffee is the drink that you can make at home, have while out, and enjoy a varieties of flavors and aromas, it has reached that status that eclipses the status of caffeine delivery vehicle.

In Chicago, the coffee scene has improved measurably over the past 3-4 years. With emerging roasters, Dark Matter, Ipsento, and Passion House, joining Intelligentsia as super-high quality roasters in town, there is no excuse to line up at Starbucks to buy beans. None. The trick is that, in Chicago, we have a short summer and I like to spend as much time outside during the summer as possible. Drinking blazing hot coffee is 80 and 90 degree temperatures does not hold the same appeal as sipping that same coffee on 40 degree fall or winter days. This is where iced coffee comes into play. Continue reading »