GUEST BLOG: HOLIDAY DRINK GUIDE

‘Tis the season for some holiday-inspired drinks!

When the weather gets colder, and goodness has it ever been chilly this first bit of December…the coffee gets warmer here in Calgary! And there’s no arguing that the holiday season in this city is a special one. I absolutely love this time of year and I love the many special holiday-inspired drinks that our great local coffee shops dream up!

This is my fourth year now partnering with the incredible team at Local Laundry. And through all these years they continue to impress me (just like these cafes) with how dedicated they are to supporting all things local and ensuring this great city of Calgary and its businesses are always front and centre. 

So I stopped by the Local Laundry Wear-House, grabbed a stylish and new Bamboo Fleece Button-Up (more commonly called The Shacket) to keep me warm as I headed out to visit some great spots to grab some tasty drinks. 

So here is my list of five must-visit spots you can enjoy in the weeks to come! Let’s all do our part to support local, and to make a lasting impact in our city. But remember these don’t last forever so make sure to plan your own coffee-crawl to try them all and figure out which one is. your favourite. 

Good Trade Co.

Web: www.goodtrade.org
Instagram: @goodtradeco

Holiday Drink: Oat Nog Latte

The team at Good Trade are thrilled to introduce a new Holiday Drink to their seasonal menu. You got to admit that nothing captures the Holiday Season quite like Egg Nog. Well, while that may be true, the team at Good Trade have put a twist on this iconic favourite. Introducing the Oat Nog Latte! 

With a double shot of their Bolivar espresso added to some richly steamed Earth’s Own Oat Nog, this is soon to be you’re go-to and vegan-friendly holiday drink. Garnished with cinnamon & nutmeg which add those all-too familiar warming spices that round out this drink. Be sure to grab one while you’re out walking the streets of Kensington stopping in at your favourite local shops! 

Good Trade has two locations in Calgary, at the Crossroads Farmers Market (Fri-Sun) along with their flagship café in the heart of the Kensington neighbourhood at 1154 Kensington Crescent NW. The Kensington neighbourhood is one of my favourites to stroll down in December. 

Analog Coffee

Web: www.analogcoffee.ca
Instagram: @analogcoffee.ca 

Holiday Drink: Apple Pie Chai Latte

For as long as I can remember, many of my family’s Christmas dinners would include a delicious slice of home-made apple pie for dessert. That nostalgia is what led me to visit the great team at Analog Coffee here in Calgary for their new holiday-inspired drink, the Apple Pie Chai Latte. This is a coffee-free option for those of you reading along. Truly I want to ensure there is something for everyone on this list! This drink truly tastes as good as it sounds. 

I love Analog Coffee’s 17th Ave location. Take a seat (like I did) at one of the window benches and watch the hustle & bustle of the city as people stroll down one of Calgary’s most iconic streets. People watching is always one of the things I love at this location. 

Analog has 7 locations throughout the city. Their flagship 17th Ave. location is my personal favourite. Analog has been a fixture in the coffee scene here in Calgary for quite some time.

Sought x Found

Web: www.soughtxfound.coffee
Instagram: @sxfcoffee

Holiday Drink: Pink "Bonbon" White Mocha
If you follow along on the Local Laundry blog you may remember this past summer I visited Sought x Found and tried a drink very similar to the one I am sharing about today. 

This past summer the team at Sought x Found released the Pink "Bonbon" Iced Latte. Well because of how well it was received they kept experimenting with warm versions with the delicious Paradise Pink Bourbon coffee. This drink blew my mind! It has a buttery texture, an irresistible fresh cream aroma, not too sugary, all while maintaining a delicate balance for the specialty coffee palate. This is the candy I need for this season!

So this holiday season they have released the Pink “Bonbon” White Mocha. A drink that tastes like Strawberry Milkshake - in Mocha form! Featuring the Espresso of Colombia Paradise Pink Bourbon (notes: Strawberry, Yogurt, Rosehip, Pink Grapefruit), melting Valrhona white chocolate feves, and then combining it all with steamed organic whole milk by Vital Green Farms.

Sought x Found’s café can be found in Crescent Heights just north of downtown on Centre Street. Located in the historic Tigerstedt block you can enjoy free parking in the back alley, along with some of the best hospitality you’ll find from any café. 

Phil & Sebastian 

web: www.philsebastian.com
instagram: @philandseb

Holiday Drink: Ruby Hot Chocolate

While last year was the first time getting to feature Phil & Sebastian for the holiday drink guide, they’re back again for a repeat performance this year! However the drink I am featuring is missing something...coffee! After just a few sips of their Ruby Hot Chocolate I knew it needed to make this list. What a unique take on this iconic holiday drink. 

The Ruby Hot Chocolate is a hot chocolate made from Ruby Chocolate. Ruby Cacao is sweet, fruity, and a little tangy. The drink is finished with a couple of shakes of cacao powder to add a deeper and pleasant chocolate bitterness. 

Phil & Sebastian has eight locations across the city. Each location has their own unique charm that reflects the neighbourhood they call home. You’ll often find me grabbing a drink from their Simmons Building location in East Village and taking a winter stroll along the Riverwalk. But no matter where you live, you’re sure to find one nearby. 

Made By Marcus/Monogram Coffee

Web: www.monogramcoffee.com
Instagram: @monogramco

Web: www.madebymarcus.com
Instagram: @madebymarcus

Holiday TREAT: Espresso Martini Frozen Dessert & RED & GREEN Coffee

Each year, Monogram Coffee roasts a coffee, and Made by Marcus makes an ice cream inspired by a song that Ellen Doty writes for the campaign with another Alberta-based musician. This year, she partnered with Edmonton-based drummer and composer Biboye Onanuga to create the track "Red & Green". $5 from each bag of coffee and $2 from each pint of ice cream sold are donated to The Alex and Radius Community Health Centre’s to help those in our community who experience poverty, homelessness, and other health challenges.  ATB Financial is also on board and is matching all coffee and ice cream sale donations.

The “Espresso Martini” Ice Cream is Vegan (coconut-milk based) and is made using the Red & Green Coffee specifically roasted for this collaboration. I knew one I heard about this, that I needed to include this sweet treat in this feature. While supplies last, you can swing by any of the 3 Made by Marcus locations across Calgary to grab a scoop to enjoy to take a pint home with you. This was such a delicious treat to enjoy. Very creamy, great coffee flavour, and a surprise caramel ribbon in the ice cream that brings out those classic espresso-martini flavours of Vodka & Kahlua! Even if it was -20C when I was having this it, it just felt so right. 

Monogram has four locations across the city: Downtown (5th Ave), Britannia, Altadore and their newest NW location in the University District. Each location has their own unique charm that reflects the neighbourhood they call home. Britannia, Altadore & University District all offer free parking! Each are serving up this delicious drink so pick whichever is closest to you and go enjoy this tasty drink

Made by Marcus has 3 locations across the city (and 2 in Edmonton). Stop by any of them while supplies last to enjoy a scoop or a pint of Espresso Martini! You’re going to love it. 

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So there you have it! The holiday season is here, but as we know it doesn’t last forever. And that means these drinks won’t be around forever either. So when you’re out doing your holiday shopping at the many great local businesses Calgary has to offer, make sure to grab one of these incredible holiday coffee creations! 

If you have any questions about the coffee community here in Calgary feel free to connect with me. There are so many more amazing cafes and coffee roasters here in this city, these were just four that I felt were offering unique holiday drink creations that I wanted to share!

One last thanks to the incredible team at Local Laundry for outfitting me in my new Bamboo Fleece Button-Up to keep me cozy and warm while I visited each of these incredible coffee shops across this great city of ours. 

Happy Holidays,

-Tyler H.

Chief Coffee Drinker & Content Creator
www.commonlycoffee.com
@commonlycoffee