44 - Cherry Bean (Denver - Sunnyside Location)

Cherry Bean! It's super cute! (I'll be real, I forgot to take this picture, then took it from my car, parked awkwardly across the street, so now I have to own up to it so this place doesn't appear less cute. This-picture-done-well-from-the-corner-instead is right on the main page of their web site though. I obviously wasn't trying very hard. I apologize to the integrity of this blog.)

Coffee Shop:
Cherry Bean Coffee
https://www.cherrybeancoffee.co/
4059 Tejon Street  Denver
Colorado, 80211

Date Visited:
Friday, December 21, 2018
About 3:30 p.m. -  5:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 22, 2018
About 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Purchased:
Nothing! Haha! I was in a cool airbnb that covered a morning coffee, so I checked it out twice for comparison and didn't buy anything, but here are the details:

day 1 - 12 oz oat milk latte
day 2 - 12 oz peppermint oil almond milk latte

latte: $3.75 base
$1.00 charge for oat milk

peppermint oil latte base: $4.00
$.80 cent charge for almond milk

The extra charges are a little overboard, especially because I think whole milk is standard! It definitely gave me a getting-away-with-it-because-they-can vibe. .80 cents is pushing it (especially when it's the same for a little cappuccino or a 20 oz latte). Oat milk is a dollar and the others are a .80 cents, which means they put some kind of thought into it, but they do not get points for reasonableness and are willingly part of the system of unreasonableness.

Okay my first general comment though: This place is awesome.  If I had any kind of ranking system or sensical way to keep track of things, I'm sure this would be up there for something like a "best overall" category.

Their cappuccino looked legit (6 oz they know what's up) so I kind of wanted that, but since they have oat milk and also seemed to know what they're doing espresso-wise, I decided to compare almond and oat milk lattes back to back (since I was coming two days in a row). Then I complicated this by getting a peppermint oil latte with one of them. Oh, well.  Not only do they seem to know what they're doing espresso-wise, but they had one of the coolest menus I've ever seen.  I had to try a little of both sides, even though I was focusing on espresso/basic lattes.

Oat milk latte

They have ALL sorts of cool stuff.  I was very intrigued by the "lattes" that don't have espresso, but instead cool blends of things like spirulina or turmeric, and health-kick-type-things. But like, with latte art. Omg.  They also have smoothies and some other stuff. So SUCH a cool menu to draw from.  The peppermint oil latte was one of their "specialty drinks" so I decided it was a good representative sample. I'm sure there are a lot of things that taste good without being too health-kicky too. So awesome place to go, whether you want caffeine or not.

So far in my oat milk latte adventures, I think that oat milk is awesome. I don't know if I have liked any better than the best cappuccinos (or lattes) I have ever had, but I think I like them more consistently.  In this almost-direct-comparison I liked the oat milk better than the almond milk.  However, I had the peppermint oil in the almond milk, so maybe I didn't like the peppermint oil effect. But I think it was as expected (and I think I would have liked it better in the oat milk).

Peppermint Oil Almond Milk Latte

Both lattes were very good.  I did like the oat milk better, but the almond milk was a really good savory kind of latte, as in not sweet, focused on the espresso instead of sweetness/syrups/etc., which is nice when done well.  Oat milk is naturally sweeter, so I didn't notice as much with that one. There was none of the burned-taste that I often complain about with almond-milk-done-not-well.  It was hearty and not sweet, without being bitter. The peppermint oil added a little smoothness I think (and, of course, peppermint flavor). Good experience. The foam was nice and creamy.

Although I was not at the point of raving about how they are the best drinks I've ever had, they were really good!  And this place had so many options that they apparently do very well!  It's also super cute on the street-corner (there's a little outdoor seating, but...December), and it's such a nice atmosphere!  It somehow manages to look equally appealing for chilling and talking to friends, or sitting alone with a laptop, reading, focusing, daydreaming...whatever. You can do it all.  You could come in with kids, or just adults also. I don't know if I have seen a shop that is so eclectic and so good at so many facets.

They have a print, scan, copy, fax station.  I mean, seriously.

There are some brick walls inside. Giant windows to sit next to. Very light and open. Also cozy and comfy. Not quite at fireplace level, but they pretty much have it all.

Street parking was free, not time limited, and easy to find.

I had no wifi issues and they post the password all around (they're so considerate and welcoming!).

Cherry Bean was so fun to stop in, but it would be even better to frequent!  There's so much to try and it would fit whatever kind of mood you need. I was super impressed and loved it.

43 - 2914 Coffee, Denver (Jefferson Park)

Coffee Shop:
2914 Coffee
https://2914coffee.com/
2914 W 25th Ave
Denver, CO 80211

Look at that name. Look at that address. HOW APT.
Yet I seem to remember that there was more to the story on their website and it was awesome. I do not see it now. This place was on my list back when I lived here, so I was stoked to finally see it.
Oh, I found a little bigger blurb on their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/2914coffeedenver/

Date Visited:
Thursday, December 20, 2018
About 1:15 p.m. -  4:00 p.m.

Purchased:
Cappuccino: $4.50
(.50 cent charge for almond milk)
Veggie sandwich (vegan): $7.50
(.50 cent charge for vegan/gluten free oat bread, which was really good!)
^I had it toasted (I don't know if I would ever turn down the option to have toasted bread)
Tip: $1.00 (I was compelled because I got food too, I think, no judgement on all the places I haven't included a tip...)
Total: $13.00

Cute!

Their lattes vs. cappuccinos were just smaller mugs for cappuccinos, so I basically had six options for espresso/milk ratios, starting with a single shot latte, or smaller single shot cappuccino, up to a large. (They could of course also just do whatever you want. But that's not my style, gotta see what they present first.)
I got a double cappuccino.  It was very much basically a latte. However, it did have a decent foam covering.  Not a ton, but decent. There was actually a clear line between the foam top and the liquidy-espresso drink part, which I actually don't like as much as a creamier/smoother drink overall. (I like creamy foam, not airy foam, but I'm not complaining.)  The foam was decently creamy, with pockets of visible air bubbles (so still airy).

Overall it did the job, but wasn't particularly noteworthy. It had a bit of that almost-burnt taste that comes with almond milk sometimes (when it's not as good, as far as I'm concerned), but it was overlookable. Like I said, it was a bit more separated than many.  Since coconut milk usually separates more than almond milk, I think I probably would have liked the coconut milk cappuccino more, since that's kinda how the almond turned out anyway (but I think coconut milk would have tasted better). I noticed that many coconut milk drinks were ordered while I was sitting there, so perhaps regulars know where it's at for this place.  Anyway - overall, decent drink, no big complaints, just no raves either.

I was hungry so I also tried a sandwich. They had a vegan one! With no cheese, plus their gluten free/vegan oat bread, which was really good! The sandwich was just a basic snack, but I like that they have options that aren't just a pastry.  I'm not sure it was really a $7.50 sandwich, but the ingredients seemed fresh (and availability, real estate, convenience costs...whatever. I wouldn't call it a food destination, but if you're there and want food, they have decent options).

The shop is super cute and a fun place to to hang out.  It had a really friendly and comfortable, inviting vibe.  There was a good amount of seating for it being small-ish, and it was balanced just up to the point of not feeling crowded.  There was outdoor seating too.  It was warm for the time of year, but it's December. I didn't try it.  I was really happy with the visit, even if I'm not raving about the actual consumables, and ended up staying longer than I figured I would because it's just a really nice place to hang out.  There is nice natural light and low-key quirky art.

There is ample free, 2-hour parking in the vicinity. Since I was there longer, I moved my car, and one of the baristas told me they do actually have a two dedicated parking spots in the parking lot behind the shop, which is accessible from the alley. So I moved there.

There was wifi with a password and no issues.

The shop is a pokestop.

42 - Backstage Coffee, Denver (downtown)

The worlds of coffee and theater...together. :D

Coffee Shop:
Backstage Coffee
http://backstagecoffee.com/
1000 14th Street 1B-1
Denver CO 80202

Date Visited:
Sunday, June 4, 2017
About 4:45 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Purchased:
12 oz Almond Milk Latte: $3.50
(I was not charged for almond milk.  POINT to reasonableness!)

So disclaimer...I don't live in Denver anymore.  My coffee shop tour was cut short.  But I am still determined to do what I can.  I was there again, saw a play, and went to Backstage Coffee!  I had heard about it before, but never been.  It was really difficult to get motivated to go to a downtown coffee shop without a special occasion.  And it was perfect to pair this visit with a play because the coffee shop is BACKSTAGE COFFEE.  It is right by the theaters and they do cater to the theater crowd, and even stay open "until shows end." :D  (I love it.)

The inside wasn't particularly theater-oriented, but I loved it.  It's really spacious.  It extends like halfway down the block and has lots of indoor and outdoor seating.  There were lots of different kinds of tables, lots of windows and light, classic coffee shop photograph art on the walls..the whole package.  It was really quiet and peaceful while I was there, but I'm sure it can be crowded and lively as well.  But like I said it's really spacious, so I think it would trend toward "lively" instead of "busy" and "annoying."  It is not pretentious in that MOST of the tables and chairs matched and were reasonably un-marred, but there was just a little of the "worn" coffee shop sort of vibe.  It trends toward "classy" instead of "cozy" with "mellow" sprinkled in.

Very nice atmosphere.

They do the thing where cappuccinos are the same size as lattes, but with more foam.  I asked if the almond milk foamed okay and received an affirmative.  One of the baristas was apparently very good at foaming, and the other one not too much, so the first one made it for me.

It was the foamiest cappuccino (/latte) I've ever had in my life.

That foam has serious depth.

It was actually maybe really half full of foam.  Which is trending toward being a real cappuccino, though giant-sized (and a smaller espresso part of the ratio).

It was different than any other drink I've had, so I am not entirely sure how to compare it.  I actually didn't think it tasted that great, but it was a fun (and therefore reasonably great) experience because of all the foam.  It seemed like a lot of almond milk foam, with espresso mixed with sort of "flat" (thin?) almond milk beneath it.  I think that I was not a huge fan of this particular espresso, which was the reason I didn't like it as much.  And even though there was a lot of foam (seriously impressive), it wasn't the best foam I have had.  It was more like the foam that previously gave me the impression that I didn't really care about foam (but since doing this coffee shop tour I discovered that I love really good foam).

I am not entirely sure if this was more like a real cappuccino than what I have had before and that's why it was different, or if it simply wasn't that great of a cappuccino.  Since most cappuccinos I have had trend toward foamy lattes, I will not pass full judgement right now.  However, the espresso was pretty bitter and had that generic coffee flavor without really anything going for it, and it didn't have good smell, which often indicates the best cappuccinos.  And the impressive foam wasn't impressively creamy.  It would have been really fun to try this particular cappuccino with really good espresso, but alas...(it was not).

Parking is stupid and annoying.  It's downtown.  I was there on a Sunday.  I drove around the general area, trying to navigate all the one-ways and hoping I would end up on the side of the street that I wanted to be on when I found a place to park.  I hoped for an open (free :) ) metered place since it was Sunday, but did not see one.  I found a $5 Sunday garage, had to drive around the block to pass by the entrance on the correct side of the street, then parked and discovered I was about half a mile from the theater.  I would not have cared up to a mile.  It is not worth navigating around downtown to try to be any closer.  Have I conveyed that parking and driving downtown sucks?  Anyway, at least I could chill out and not have to worry about a meter or my parking fee increasing every twenty minutes...but only because it was Sunday.  Because navigating and parking downtown sucks.  Perhaps if I still lived in Denver I would eventually get better at it, but this is the sort of thing I am not motivated to pursue.  Ugh.

However, this is the sort of situation in which it is best to visit Backstage Coffee.  Paired with theater and with extra time to chillax when walking around downtown. :)  And it is interesting because now I am a tourist. :)

For the wifi they gave me a little slip of paper with a username and password (and the network code: caffeine-nation - I love it).  The session lasts two hours.  That's a little on the short side for me, since I like the freedom to hang out forever, but it's also reasonable.
(For the record...I was there slightly longer than two hours and I went and asked the other barista for a wifi code later and got a second one...  Since they weren't busy I may have been able to get another one even if they recognized me. :p)

Also: This location is a portal.

Yessss.

This location is not a pokestop, but there are two pokestops accessible.  I mean, it's downtown.  I would hope so.

41 - Vital Root, Denver

Awesome food and a great blend of being a restaurant and a place to hang out for a bit.

"Coffee Shop:"
Vital Root
http://www.vitalrootdenver.com/
3915 Tennyson St
Denver, CO 80212

Date Visited:
Friday, November 18, 2016
About 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Purchased:
Coconut Almond Milk Blend Latte, Raw Beet Ravioli, Banh Mi Tacos: $23.76 (including tax)

This is not coffee shop.  This is a restaurant.  Being honest.  Especially because they supposedly have wi-fi, but it was not working at all while I was there and when I asked about it I got the impression that it might be the norm not to work.  Having wi-fi and being able to sit with a computer is my cut-off, but since they do supposedly have wi-fi it still has that kind of vibe, so it's acceptable to work/read/sit for a bit/whatever.

Anyway, I like this place and it's not a great place to hang out for an extended period of time, but it is nice for a bit (like pushing a couple of hours).  A couple of hours fits well with the free 2hr street parking all around.  There isn't a lot, but parking on the street was easy and seemed like it would generally be doable within a block.  Only slightly further away on the side streets you can find untimed parking too.

This is and all-vegetarian restaurant and it's consciously vegan-friendly as well.  By this I mean a lot of items are vegan already and vegan food is "normal," not a weird tofu substitution on dish totally not made for it.  This is exemplified by the fact that one of the milks for lattes is a coconut almond blend.  Classing it up!  Obviously I went with that.

A coconut-almond milk blend latte and a beautiful tray of Raw Beet "Ravioli."

It was quite good.  I liked the milk.  The latte wasn't that otherwise remarkable, but...it's not a coffee shop.  But I also don't want to imply that it was subpar.  It wasn't a fake-restaurant-latte.  It just wasn't that remarkable.

The picture above also includes my Raw Beet Ravioli.  I freaking love the Raw Beet Ravioli.  I have had it every time I have been there.  But it should not be called ravioli.  If you order that being in the mood for anything like ravioli, and even if you are very conscious that it is called "Raw Beet Ravioli," I think you would be disappointed.  But I LOVE it.  I just don't think about ravioli.  I love well-prepared, unique raw food.  The best restaurant I have ever been to was a raw food restaurant....on a different continent.  It makes me sad all the time how far away it is.  But the Raw Beet Ravioli is the closest thing I have found.  It is beets with I think nut-based cream, and "spaghetti" (also the worst name ever) vegetable stuff...amazing flavor blending. Unique.  It's wonderful.

I liked the Bahn Mi Tacos all right.  They weren't amazing, but I enjoyed them.  (I have had better main dishes here as well.)  They had jalapeños on them and I'm not a huge fan, but I wanted to try them as-is.  They are probably better if you like that kind of kick in your food.  A bit unique, but not as memorable.  They came with fried plantains, which was cool.

Bahn Mi Tacos.

The other awesome thing is that they have a classy water dispenser if you want water and one of the options is carbonated.  Super classy.

Vital Root is a decent place to hang out.  It's a really nice mix of really good, quality food, but also a relaxing atmosphere conducive to hanging out for a bit.  I wouldn't stretch it for five hours like I have at some coffee shops, but not all coffee shops can do that either, anyway.  It's a nice place without making you feel like you have to dress up or feel weird pulling out a book or laptop. (So basically perfect as far as food places go.)

Like I mentioned, free parking was pretty easy.  And fatal wi-fi issues with the basically-nonexistent wifi.

Although this restaurant was not a landmark itself, it was in range of three Ingress portals.  I am not sure if they were all pokestops.  I also had trouble getting signal on my phone.  SO disappointing.

40 - Sojourners Coffee & Tea, Denver

A MAPLE SYRUP LATTE.  I wish I could convey delicious smell and a warm, cozy, deliciously blended flavor.  Then this picture would speak for itself.  Instead, the picture conveys a latte and these words will speak for it.

Coffee Shop:
Sojourners Coffee & Tea
http://sojoscoffee.com
1501 S Holly st
Denver, CO 80222

Date Visited:
Monday, November 7, 2016
About 12:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Purchased:
12 oz Almond Milk Maple Latte: $3.93*
0.69 cent charge for almond milk

*This is actually the price for a regular latte.  I saw the the sign that described a "maple latte" after I had ordered and immediately asked if I could upgrade (actually, asked if it was made with real maple syrup and when I got a yes, IMMEDIATELY asked if I could upgrade because it was an ACTUAL MAPLE SYRUP LATTE).  The barista making my drink said he would put the maple syrup in.

A maple syrup latte is the best idea.  I don't know why I have never seen it before.  (I concede that one possibility is because I have been unobservant.)  Anyway, I had never had one and this was my first experience.

This latte was among the best lattes I have ever had.  As in, it is in the running for the best latte I have ever had.  I believe that much of this was due to the fact that it was a maple syrup latte.  So I can't really compare their latte with lattes from other places.  It's just in a class of it's own.  But I can give them credit for making a maple syrup latte that was delicious!  It was very good with almond milk, good flavor pairing, and just all-round delicious.  The foam was nice.  It was a very comfy-feeling drink.  Maple syrup is a pretty cool flavor in general, but used like this, there was a journey of flavors in the latte and it was fun, even though it was still mellow.  It was sweet, but not too sweet and not overpowering.  Still more like a latte than on the super sweet mocha side of things.  It was warm and cozy and delicious.

I would love to have this be a holiday drink staple.  But not just for the holidays.

The latte art wasn't much...so I do have to say that there is room for improvement in the whole experience because a beautifully crafted piece of latte art would have completed the scene very fittingly.

The shop was a pretty nice place to work as well.  There was quite a bit of seating and it had a cozy/productive blend of an atmosphere going on.  It seemed like the kind of place people like to come hang out and work at.  It was comfortable to do, but would also be nice to sit and chat or whatever too.  It was mostly smaller tables with a couple comfy chairs.

When I arrived I checked out the menu and was thinking I would get a standard drink.  I sort of wanted a cappuccino, but I asked about the charge for almond milk substitution and it was still .75 cents (including tax, I guess - the receipt said 0.69) and it just irritates me SO MUCH to pay such a large percentage of the drink to have a few ounces of a different milk. It's not even like it's ADDED, it's just a different thing INSTEAD.  So I'm always like "Fine, I'll just get a latte."  At least then I'm actually getting a decent amount of almond milk for the SAME PRICE.  Even though it would STILL be the same price for a large latte, which is like TWICE AS MUCH milk.  Okay, anyway.  I decided on a latte.

Their holiday drink list was on a board that was near the counter where I ordered, so I did not see it until I walked back away.  I usually don't pay a lot of attention to holiday drinks because I'm not into fake syrups, and that's usually what they are - a bunch of flavorings and whipped cream or something, so I just don't generally get them.  But then came the glorious moment when I saw a latte and the word "maple".  I wish I remembered if it had a better name than "maple latte", but I was too distracted by the enticing existence of a maple syrup latte.  So I asked about it and upgraded and it was delicious.

Overall, and awesome drink and a nice atmosphere.

Wifi was decent.

There is a parking lot shared with neighboring businesses.  I got the only spot that was available, after someone pulled out.  So the lot does not seem sufficient.  However, I did not investigate nearby street parking since I got a spot.

ALSO. Also.  I can now add another important piece of information about these adventures.

This location is a pokestop.  (And an Ingress portal.)
(To be clear, Sojourners isn't just in the vicinity of one, it IS one.)

39 - Watercourse Foods, Denver

They have very pretty food and drinks.

"Coffee Shop:"
Watercourse Foods
Vegan Comfort Food
http://www.watercoursefoods.com/
837 E 17th ave
Denver, CO 80218

Date Visited:
Sunday, November 6, 2016
About 3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Purchased:
8 oz pumpkin latte with coconut milk: $4.50
+ food

This place is a restaurant.  But they have coffee and wifi.

The Watercourse menu promised light and fluffy pancakes and that was the primary reason for this visit.  Our expectations were lofty and Watercourse delivered!  Also everything was really pretty.  The pancakes were awesome and we also got home fries, which were awesome too.

But on to the coffee.  I got a pumpkin latte.  Every year I do this thing where I want to get pumpkin things because they sound so good and festive, and then have to come to terms with the fact that I don't actually like pumpkin things.  I don't even really like pumpkin pie, although it has grown on me and I enjoy a short experience of eating it because it is exciting and festive.  It's not bad, but I just don't enjoy it that much.  I actually DISlike fake pumpkin-flavored things and don't mess with that stuff, but I checked and Watercourse uses pumpkin puree and that sounded exciting and festive for a latte so I decided it was time for this year's due diligence into pumpkin adventures with a latte.

There just wasn't much chance that my reaction was going to be something other than, "that's not too bad."  And that's basically how I felt.  However, the latte was a bit of an adventure.

I told the waitress that I was guessing it would be best with almond milk, since I thought coconut milk might be too much of a contrasting taste, but asked her opinion.  She specifically pointed out that she liked it with coconut (I hadn't mentioned my coconut thoughts aloud).  So I settled upon the choice of a coconut milk pumpkin latte.

A very pretty latte.

My first reaction was that it was decent.  Well, that was my first reaction after I tasted it.  My very first reaction was that it was very pretty.  I don't think the picture captures quite how nice and smooth and artsy it looked.  It was very pretty.

There was a lot going on with the flavor and I was turned off by some of the layers.  There was a general, wholesome pumpkin taste, along with espresso, and quite a strong sour taste, which I think was the root of the aspect I didn't like.  It was very creamy, which I particularly noted since coconut milk products are sometime more watery than those with almond milk (I personally think that this is because people make them less often so there is generally less finesse or proportions are off - or likely they use subpar milk - because coconut milk is so creamy).  I think the pumpkin added to the creaminess.

As I reached the end of the drink is suddenly got VERY STRONG.  But also better.  I think that it was not mixed well and a lot had settled to the ground.  The last part of the latte was very sweet and not very sour.  The pumpkin wasn't as obvious and the "regular latte" taste had faded.

Again, it was REALLY STRONG at the end.  I could barely drink it without making reactionary faces.  But it was good, just on overload.

So the latte was an adventure.  I wonder what it would have tasted like if I had stirred it so that the flavors were well mixed.  It would definitely have been better.  Overall it was a reasonably enjoyable pumpkin adventure.  If I had gotten the full mixed experience I believe I would have considered it a rather enjoyable pumpkin experience.

The restaurant was an all right place to hang out.  They have outdoor seating as well, but we sat inside.  It's sort of weirdly lit and even the natural light was blocked from where we were, so it was too dark, even though it was daytime (or, especially because it was daytime it felt darker than it should have).  We sat in a booth and it wan't especially comfortable, but there was nothing wrong with it.

So it was a decent place to eat and hang out with really pretty food and a worthwhile pumpkin adventure.

They have wifi, but I hardly used it.

They don't have parking, but there was street parking in the near vicinity.  It's free, and normally limited to two hours, but we were there on a Sunday so it wasn't.  It seems like it would be reasonable to expect to find a spot within  a couple of blocks, even if it was busier.

38 - The original Ink! Coffee, Aspen (...Aspen)

Coffee shop...and outdoor store.

Coffee Shop:
Ink! Coffee
http://inkcoffee.com/locations/aspen/
520 E Durant ave
Apen, CO 81611

Date Visited:
Monday, August 22, 2016
About 2:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Purchased:
12 oz Almond Milk Latte: $5.85*
*It was $5.85 total.  The original price was $4.55.  I don't know how much of the difference was almond milk and how much was tax.  They didn't offer a receipt!  I looked for the charge and couldn't find it.

It's obviously too high, though.  But I'm in Aspen.

Though it doesn't make it better, locally it fits in to charge extra for whatever just because people will do it.  People are annoying like that.

I also would have stayed a little bit longer, but I had to go get my car.  Parking is ridiculous.  But I'm in Aspen.

You wouldn't get coffee here unless you were already in Aspen.  But in order to have time to wander and do things like hang out at coffee shops, there are a couple of options.  You can take the bus into the city from the Brush Creek Intercept Lot, where parking is free and the bus is free into Aspen (and back later).  It runs frequently.  You can also park in a residential area for $8 for the day.  The areas are marked residential and away from the city core, but totally walkable to anywhere.  There is also a parking garage, which is more expensive, and parking at pay stations in the city core, which is ridiculously ridiculous.  It goes up more each hour you purchase.  It's not even an option.

You can also park in the residential areas for free for two hours.  If you want an additional 2 hours, you have to move your car to a different zone, not just around the block, but it's not that bad.  This is what I did during the Ink! visit, so i had to get back to my car by 4:00.

The experience was a bit better than my previous Ink! experience (16th st mall in Denver), but not by a lot.  The latte tasted a bit better in Denver actually, but the latte experience was such a weird fiasco there that neither place comes out ahead.  They were very automatically going for the paper cups, but I asked for a "for here" cup and they did have it.  Though it definitely wasn't the norm.  You can see that not much care was put into the latte art even in the nicer cup...

Ha.

It was decent.  Not great, but better than some.  Espresso-wise, it smelled nice.  The taste wasn't very memorable and the smell unfortunately didn't linger.  Overall, everything was pretty average.

The shop was an okay place to work, but not great.  It's kind of awesome because it's also an outdoor store.  They have backpacks, bike stuff, hike stuff, ski stuff, lots of stuff.  It is very close to the gondola on the mountain and I'm sure it's busy in the winter.  The shop has kind of a retail feel, which the outdoor stuff contributed to.

There were no really comfy places to sit, but it wasn't bad.  The furniture is kind of old or used, torn and stuff.  No place felt "out of the way".  It was kind of hard to get in the zone of working.  The atmosphere was okay for some quick tasks, but pretty bad for creativity.  The outdoor area was fairly nice, though I didn't sit there.  It wasn't special for Aspen, since most outdoor places in Aspen are nice because there is a beautiful mountain view everywhere and there's a relaxed vibe.  So Ink! naturally has that.  The seating was also back from the road and down some stairs, which is nice since the road is a through street.

The paper-cup-default-not-latte-art fit with the atmosphere.  It's not really tailored to sit and savor.  I'm sure it thrives as a great place to stop in and get a hot drink and warm up and talk for half an hour after skiing or something.  So the context definitely affects things.  The shop isn't classy-craft-delicious-comfy-coffee-atmosphere, but it's not bad for what it is.  Although I expected more from Ink! in general given their blurbs on roasting coffee, quality, etc.  It definitely trends chain-like.  Maybe that has shifted over time, but if it maintained non-chain roots anywhere I would have expected it at the original shop.

I wouldn't specially return, but I wouldn't be especially opposed if it came up.  The experience was pretty neutral, but more Aspen-expensive.  I didn't like hanging out there that much.  It also wasn't great for work, and there was stuff going on that detracted from the atmosphere, but it's not bad for Aspen.  There isn't a place in the area that's significantly better that I know of.  So for the local area it's the norm, but compared to the Denver-norm it's not great.

No wi-fi issues.