LOCAL LAUNDRY HOLIDAY DRINK FEATURE

We are so stoked to have Tyler Hagan from Commonly Coffee back on the blog for his Holiday Drink Feature. Now more than ever the importance of shopping locally is astronomical.

Tyler is highlighting his top picks for coffee shops to support in Calgary and their various coffee drinks to get us in the holiday spirit!

Let's dive into it!

The holiday season is upon us! 

And maybe this year more than any other year, it feels like there is a sense of familiarity when it comes to this season that we've desperately missed for much of the rest of the year. Whether it's the twinkling of lights and holiday decor, hitting play on your favourite seasonal playlist, or even just the smells of this season, that sense of familiarity is a much-welcomed reprieve from the challenges this year has brought. 

And while here in Calgary there are some things we miss (like many of the great holiday markets), there are things we can still continue to enjoy like going for a skate at Olympic Plaza, a day trip to the mountains, or maybe grabbing a tasty holiday-inspired beverage from a local coffee shop.

I am thrilled once again this year to partner with Local Laundry (one of my favourite Calgary companies) to share with you some of the best holiday beverages to keep you warm, and well-caffeinated, during this season! Local Laundry has always been a company who is committed to giving back. Each month 10% of their monthly profits go back to a local charity. And I think that especially during the holiday season we all can do our part to give back and build a stronger community that we all call home. 

So here are four great cafes and four great drinks 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. 

Good Trade Co.

web: www.goodtrade.org
instagram: @goodtradeco

Image courtesy of Good Trade 

Holiday Drink: Peppermint Mocha

The team at Good Trade are thrilled to introduce a holiday-classic…the Peppermint Mocha! This wonderful drink is created using direct-trade Colombian coffee, a splash of peppermint syrup along with decadent chocolate sauce. These iconic holiday flavours are sure to delight your senses. Good Trade is happy to make this drink using your choice of milk or milk alternative. Either way it’s sure to warm your hands and your heart this holiday season.

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. Stop by to get your Peppermint Mocha as you support the incredible local shops in the area. 


Rosso Coffee Roasters

web: www.rossocoffeeroasters.com
instagram: @rossocoffeeroasters 


Image courtesy of Rosso Coffee Roasters 

Holiday Drink: Cascara Christmas Fog

For all of you non-coffee drinkers the Cascara Christmas Fog is for you! Rosso Coffee Roasters has three unique holiday creations that they’re offering this season…but as soon as I heard about this drink, I knew it had to be included in this feature. The Cascara Christmas Fog is based off of Rosso’s beloved London Fog but with a holiday twist! Featuring house-made cascara syrup (cascara is the skin of dried coffee cherries) from the Finca Deborah farm and infused with fragrant cardamom, this is one amazing drink. 

Rosso has 7 locations throughout Calgary. My favourite location is their Inglewood café. Like I mentioned they also have released a Yule Nog Latte, along with a Candy Cane Cocoa. Oh, and for the adults…there is the option to spike your drinks with a shot of Espresso-infused vodka from Confluence Distilling here in Calgary! Now who’s naughty or nice?! 

 

Monogram Coffee:

web: www.monogramcoffee.com
instagram: @monogramco


Image courtesy of Monogram Coffee 

Holiday Drink: Milk Chocolate Hazelnut Cream

This holiday drink is a brand-new creation from the team at Monogram. Featuring Vahlrona Hazelnut Milk Chocolate, fresh espresso, silky steamed milk, and topped with fluffy whipped cream, this is the treat we all deserve right now! The team at Monogram also mentioned that this drink can be made without espresso and enjoyed as a tasty hot chocolate. 

Monogram is also home to my favourite Eggnog latte. It seriously is one of the drinks that I look forward to most during the Holiday season. So while it may not be my feature drink this year I couldn’t put this all together without at least making mention of it. 

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

 

Analog Coffee

web: www.analogcoffee.ca
instagram: @analogcoffeeyyc


Image courtesy of Analog Coffee 

Holiday Treat: Premium Handmade Chocolates (infused with coffee)

Guess what’s back for a second go-around on this Holiday feature! Yup, I realize that technically this final entry isn’t a Holiday Drink…but these are coffee-infused chocolates! These delectable holiday treats were created locally here in Calgary by Nicole Buckton from Those Chocolates and are each infused with Analog Coffee, and Tea. The three chocolates are:

COLOMBIAN HOT CHOCOLATE
House-made marshmallow and milk chocolate caramel ganache inside a coffee-infused dark chocolate shell.

MILK CHOCOLATE EARL GREY
Silky smooth milk chocolate infused with our custom Earl Grey tea blend inside a milk chocolate shell.

PERUVIAN GINGERBREAD
Creamy caramel, traditional gingerbread spices and dark-roasted organic coffee inside a milk chocolate shell.

These chocolates are available for $15 for a box of 6. Analog has 6 locations throughout the city. Their flagship 17th Ave. location is my personal favourite. So even though this one isn’t a coffee drink there was NO WAY I was going to pass up the chance to feature coffee infused chocolates.

Analog has 6 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.

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I wanted to wrap up this drink feature with Analog Coffee because they have been brewing up a great partnership with the team at Local Laundry along with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in order to give back this Holiday Season. You might have noticed me wearing their CBC Holiday Natural Bamboo Sweater

This sweater not only looks good, it does good. 100% of the proceeds from this sweater go directly towards the Calgary Food Bank! And really, isn’t that what this season is all about?! Calgary certainly showed up to support this initiative, with this Crewneck selling out in just 4 minutes when it went on sale earlier this week. But you can still give back through their website to the Calgary Food Bank! 

Analog Coffee is bringing back their “One Gray Knight” holiday coffee and donating 1500 bags where 100% of proceeds are going to the Calgary Food Bank. As has been said throughout this unprecedented season…”we are all in this together!” And I love seeing these great Calgary companies doing so much good…together. 

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 thank you to Bence Horvai for snapping these amazing pictures of me in my Local Laundry Holiday Crewneck.  

Happy Holidays,

Tyler H.

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