Blue Bottle adds coffee 'cocktails' in Palo Alto | Peninsula Foodist | Elena Kadvany | Palo Alto Online |

Local Blogs

Peninsula Foodist

By Elena Kadvany

About this blog: Get the latest food news with the biweekly Peninsula Foodist newsletter.
We are constantly on the lookout for new and undiscovered meals, from Michelin-starred restaurants to tac...  (More)

View all posts from Elena Kadvany

Blue Bottle adds coffee 'cocktails' in Palo Alto

Uploaded: Jul 5, 2017
Blue Bottle Coffee in downtown Palo Alto is now serving special non-alcoholic coffee drinks that mimic cocktails.

Belly up to the new "Cold Bar," which opened in June toward the front of the cafe's outdoor courtyard on University Avenue, for an "Oji Old Fashioned" with slow-dripped coffee and jasmine orange peel ($6) or a "Suzuki Refresher" with sparkling cold-brew coffee, mint and lime ($8). (Blue Bottle did at one point after opening in 2015 apply for an actual liquor license to serve beer and wine, but the process was halted at some point, a company spokesperson said.)


The new Cold Bar at Blue Bottle Palo Alto. Photo by Elena Kadvany.

Palo Alto's Cold Bar is the brainchild of manager Corey Lenko and lead barista Cristian Lara. The bar's offerings go "beyond what you might except from a coffee bar," the two wrote in an email.

"Here, coffee is an ingredient and also the star. By combining a variety of coffees with other ingredients, guests can appreciate the distinct flavor notes of each coffee and understand the coffee’s contribution to each drink," they said.

The drink recipes were developed in-house and also "crowdsourced from Blue Bottle staff from every corner of the company," Lenko and Lara said.

Only two other Blue Bottles have Cold Bars, in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Palo Alto's Cold Bar currently has seven drinks on the menu (see below). There may be seasonal additions in the future, Lenko and Lara said. Customers can also order pourover coffees and food at the Cold Bar; espresso drinks are still ordered inside the cafe.


New non-alcoholic coffee drinks are available at Blue Bottle in Palo Alto. Photo by Elena Kadvany.
Local Journalism.
What is it worth to you?

Comments

Posted by Honest Ed, a resident of Downtown North,
on Jul 5, 2017 at 5:20 pm

yuk


Posted by Reader, a resident of another community,
on Jul 5, 2017 at 9:22 pm

No one can please everyone all the time. (And this comment is not just about coffee bars or restaurants in general.)

If you don't like it, don't buy it. Vote with your dollars.

While the idea doesn't appeal to me either, at least I can keep an open mind to the possibility that someone might enjoy these new offerings.


Posted by Reader, a resident of another community,
on Jul 5, 2017 at 9:24 pm

Oh, and one other thing. Comments like "yuk" might feel cathartic, but they aren't a particularly neighborly thing to say to business owner who is trying to make it in your neighborhood.

Again, if you don't like it, go somewhere else. It's not like Blue Bottle Coffee has deliberately done something to ruin your existence.


Follow this blogger.
Sign up to be notified of new posts by this blogger.

Email:

SUBMIT

Post a comment

Sorry, but further commenting on this topic has been closed.

Stay informed.

Get the day's top headlines from Palo Alto Online sent to your inbox in the Express newsletter.

Holiday Fun in San Francisco- Take the Walking Tour for An Evening of Sparkle!
By Laura Stec | 8 comments | 2,656 views

Pacifica’s first brewery closes its doors
By The Peninsula Foodist | 0 comments | 2,308 views

Premiere! “I Do I Don’t: How to build a better marriage” – Here, a page/weekday
By Chandrama Anderson | 0 comments | 1,706 views

 

Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund

For the last 30 years, the Palo Alto Weekly Holiday Fund has given away almost $10 million to local nonprofits serving children and families. 100% of the funds go directly to local programs. It’s a great way to ensure your charitable donations are working at home.

DONATE TODAY