What's Brewing? is our interview series where we catch up with some of our favorite collaborators. For this edition, we sat down with Roger and Kailey of Godspeed Coffee, a specialty coffee shop in Columbia, South Carolina.
Partner Features
Favorite specialty drink you’ve created.
A drink we call “The Nectar”- it’s a double shot of espresso layered with saffron & vanilla milk, topped with Dona’s Cardamom Rose Spice Dust. It can be served hot or iced & either way it is truly luxurious.
What kinds of cafe trends are you noticing right now, and are you a fan?
We have been noticing a lot of whips & cold foams lately - this isn’t particularly a new concept, of course, but it’s seeming like it’s more prevalent now than ever. We definitely aren’t anti-cold foam, as we serve a similar “cream top” at godspeed, but we hope to still see care / focus put into the coffee or tea that it is paired with rather than using it to cover that up.
Piece of advice for anyone looking to open a cafe.
Stay true to yourself. People can tell when you are being disingenuous.
Favorite drink featuring Dona.
A concoction we created that is a tongue-in-cheek play on how some claim that “matcha tastes like grass”…we called it Fresh Cut Grass. With Dona First Flush Ceremonial Matcha as the base, we added a housemade honeydew syrup, some coconut water, a splash of yuzu mint soda & topped it all off with some lychee popping pearls - to emulate dew. It was delicious & totally grassy in the best way.
Favorite track to listen to while sipping tea.
Just about anything from MF DOOM’s Special Herbs Series
Loose leaf or sachet?
Loose leaf, all the way.
Black, green, white or herbal?
Nearly impossible to choose but we really enjoy herbal teas. The world of herbals is so vast & as people who get a lot of our caffeine from coffee, a nice decaffeinated tea is a lovely change of pace.
Milk? Cow, oat or otherwise.
Cow’s milk. Whole.
Tea that aligns with your personality best.
We’re a pair, so collectively we identify with Honey, Honey. Romantic florals & mellow herbs like sage & lemongrass seem to fit our dynamic.
A cup of tea goes best with ______
To us, a cup of tea goes best with fresh air, wind chimes, birds chirping & perhaps a rocking chair for extra credit.
Dream person to share a pot of tea with…
We both blindly chose Anthony Bourdain (RIP)
Share a tea that reminds you of somewhere special.
As folks from South Carolina, nothing reminds us of home quite like a tall glass of sweet iced black tea.
Our Products
Intentionally sourced teas & tisanes. Impeccably crafted to showcase intricate flavors found at the farm level. Thoughtfully brewed for one-of-a-kind complexity.
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