Each Friday, this list will track five of the best things Heavy Table’s writers, editors, and photographers have recently bitten or sipped. Have a suggestion for the Hot Five? Email editor@heavytable.com.
The Hot Five is a weekly feature created by the Heavy Table and supported by Shepherd Song Farm.
Split Rock at Northern Coffeeworks
The Split Rock at Northern Coffeeworks is like a caffeine flight: You get a cool, light, sparkling iced tea, a bracing single shot of espresso, and a smooth, creamy, not overly sweet maple pecan cortado. Hot, cold, bitter, sweet, everything is here. Not available to go.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Amy Rea]
Taza Chocolate Mexicano from Lakewinds Co-op
Taza’s Mexicano disks are formed from chocolate that was stone ground with small amounts of nuts. They make a dense, deeply flavored, transformative beverage that could go a long way toward improving ones attitude toward “spring” weather. You heat a cup of milk (or even water), break a disk into it, and beat with a whisk or molinillo to create a froth.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted by Jane Rosemarin]
Red Jasmine Tea at Midori’s Floating World Cafe
Are we allowed to submit suggestions that are merely mild and soothing in flavor, but utterly spectacular in appearance? If so, here’s a beverage to consider: the aptly named art teas at Midori’s Floating World. Our mellow red jasmine tea looked like a specimen from a Victorian botanical garden, and it fascinated our table.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #1 | Submitted from the East Lake Checklist by James Norton]
Copacetic Kölsch by Utepils
We fell in love with Kölsch many years ago when it kicked off Summit’s Unchained series of beers, and every time we find a good example of this crisp, light, clean, delicious beer it makes our day. Cheers to Utepils for putting out a version that hits all the right refreshingly understated notes.
[Last Week on the Hot Five: #4 | Submitted by James Norton]
Stickney Hill Blueberry Chevre
The earthy, funky, tart, sweetness of wild blueberries brings a tremendous range of flavors to the clean, mellow neutrality of chevre, making this 4-ounce log a veritable one-stop-shop appetizer.
[Debuting on the Hot Five | Submitted from a review by James Norton]