I learned something while at Joe's that I had never thought about before. When I asked my friendly barista if Joe's beans were fair trade certified she said "no, but they are so good they don't have to be." As I pondered how this could possibly work, she explained that their roaster, Barrington Coffee Roasting Company, selected only the finest of coffees to roast. These green beans had been grown with such attention and skill that the taste was noticeably better. A difference the farmers understood as well. These farmers take extreme pride in their product, and therefor accept nothing less than what they knew their crop is worth. In this way, she said, the farmers provide a higher quality product, and expect higher compensation in return. As is the case with many other specialty coffee roasters, Barrington does not worry about being fair trade certified because they believe the respect they show for the coffee and the farmer can be detected at first sip.
After all, no Americano Misto could have turned out as tastey as mine, if the right beans were not used to begin with. The quality was actually noticeable at first glance, as no conventional coffee could have made the thick, golden crema that gathered on my drink.
This was my first ever Americano Misto, which is espresso, hot water, and a touch of steamed milk. I recommend it for those dreary mornings when you need a little extra caffeine and little extra warmth. It went down smooth as water, tasted slightly of vanilla, and kept my hands warm for ten blocks.
Details
9 East 13th Street, New York, NY 10003 (1 of 5 Manhattan locations)
Hours: 7am – 8pm daily
Liz's Rating
Linger? – It's usually pretty crowded with students pouring over books and laptops
Cost - $
Value – High
Taste – 5 stars
Mood – 3 stars
Wifi - not sure
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