When I was little, before I was ever in school, my mom was pursuing her bachelor’s degree. Because my dad worked full-time, I would sometimes tag along with her to college, which inevitably meant I would also be going to MadCap Coffee with her.
My mom, for as long as I can remember, has been living and breathing coffee. She’s even tried brewing it herself by experimenting with different flavors and techniques to curate the perfect cup. Her favorite coffee shop was MadCap. I remember the smell of the coffee and the casual kindness of the baristas, and I remember dreaming of being one of them someday.
This persisting memory from my earliest years undoubtedly contributed to my desire, and eventual execution, of working as a barista.
Needless to say, I love coffee. Not just the taste, but the process of making it, the smell, and the comforting feeling of a coffee shop. What I love most about coffee is how two cups are never the same.
So, obviously, Orchard House’s new drinks were right up my alley. Orchard House, having only opened in June, is a cute bookstore and coffee shop named after Louisa May Alcott’s home, where she wrote the classic novel Little Women. The shop is hard to miss, with a protruding greenhouse-style section and a large floral mural decorating the bricks on one side of the building. Through their monthly poetry nights and occasional art fairs, live music, and puzzle competitions, Orchard House has quickly become an active part of the Grand Rapids community. Out of all of these, their monthly drink menu brings me the most excitement. The drinks this month are, to say the least, creatively delicious and versatile while still being entirely unique.
Ninaatigwaaboo (Maple Tree Water)
When I first tried this maple-flavored oatmilk draft latte, I was admittedly underwhelmed. It has the fun name that reeled me in, but it has a very light flavor. I would typically go for a sweeter latte, but as I continued drinking, I grew to appreciate the simplicity of the drink. As described by one of the Orchard House baristas, an oatmilk draft latte is oat milk mixed with latte concentrate, with nitrous oxide pumping through it, making the drink more foamy and sweet. The oatmilk draft latte is my go-to when I visit Orchard House to study or write, and the addition of the maple flavoring makes it even more delicious. Because of the nature of the latte, it is only available as an iced drink, which makes it perfect for warm days spent reading in a cozy coffee shop like Orchard House. As I tried these drinks one by one, I found myself continually going back to the Ninaatigwaaboo, even after I had gotten all the information I needed from the drink. Now, whenever I visit Orchard House, the Ninaatigwaaboo is my go-to drink.
Alice in Wonderland
This drink was quite mellow in comparison to what I usually expect from a coffee. Alice in Wonderland is described as an orange blossom and Earl Grey oat milk latte. My typical coffee order is a London Fog, so I am no stranger to Earl Grey. In this drink, the bitterness of the Earl Grey counteracts the sweetness of the orange blossom flavoring. Because of this, neither flavor came through very strongly; the two flavors were competing with each other, so I couldn’t actually pick out either flavor very well. That being said, there were some sips that I could taste the Earl Grey a little more, which was actually pretty fun to have a little surprise every now and then. The orange blossom, however, was nowhere. Not in the smell or the taste–nothing. In general, I found this drink to be pretty bland. I rarely go for coffee that’s unflavored, but that’s what this drink tasted like. This isn’t to say the drink was objectively bad, just not very strong. If you want something relaxing to drink on one of those randomly cold summer days, then Alice in Wonderland is definitely the one to order.
Sleeping Beauty
This beverage, as its name suggests, is gorgeous. It is a blueberry-rose lemonade, and has a violet color to it. Blueberry and lemon are a very traditional pairing, but the addition of the rose makes it more complex. It is very sweet but not overly thick or syrupy like some flavored lemonades tend to be. While the drink was tasty, it was too sweet for my taste. In comparison to the other two drinks in this month’s lineup, the Sleeping Beauty was shockingly sugary. This is not the type of drink I would go for all the time, but on a bright summery day when I’m craving a sweet treat, this refreshing floral twist on lemonade would be my first choice.
I love Orchard House–the staff, the vibe, the books, the poetry nights, and especially the coffee. Though this month’s selections had their ups and downs, it holds my new favorite drink to have when studying. The variety of drinks is also what makes Orchard House’s monthly lineup so unique; there’s truly something for everyone.
