With the calendar telling us it’s fall, we want to embrace tall boots, autumn decor, and flavors of pumpkin and spice — but this weather just isn’t having it.
Our happy medium? The toddy — a cold-brewed coffee drink that’s less acidic than hot coffee and less bitter than coffee that’s been cooled and poured over ice. Rich and velvety enough to remind us of a cozy sweater but chilled to help us cope with the heat, it’s the drink carrying us into cooler weather.
Here are three East Valley places to snag one.
Cartel Coffee Lab
225 W. University Drive, Tempe. (480) 225-3899 or CartelCoffeeLab.com
The site of our first toddy encounter, it’s hard not to fall again and again for Cartel’s super-smooth version. A friend who accompanied us for a taste called hers “fat, buttery and delicious.” Brewed for 24 hours, it’s one of Cartel’s “most highly caffeinated beverages,” according to our latest barista, and costs $2.25 (12 oz.) to $3.50 (20 oz.).
Lo Fi Coffee
105 W. Main St., Mesa. (602) 769-3689 or LoFiCoffee.com
Shop owner Sam Clark pours 16- and 20-ounce toddies ($2.50-$3) to slurp down right away, and he plans to soon offer an 8- and 12-ounce “Jar of Toddy” concentrate ($3 and $4) to take home. Depending on how mellow or strong you like it, you could get 20-24 ounces of drinkable toddy out of the 12-ounce jar. Concentrate refills will be $2-$3. It’s a concept we love, since we’re rarely organized enough to pull off the hourslong cold-brewing process on our own.
Bergies Coffee Roast House
309 N. Gilbert Road, Gilbert. (480) 497-3913 or BergiesCoffee.com
Summer’s most popular drink at this Heritage District hotspot is a toddy with a twist — a little creme de cacao syrup mixed in and a splash of half-and-half on top. You can also get it plain ($2.25-$2.75), or with a different syrup stirred in (hazelnut and salted caramel are popular choices). Flavored toddies are 50 cents more.
