You might have your own favourite kind of Joe – be it the seasonal single-origin from your “bro-rista” bestie from the hipster cafe in your nabe, the “downstairs” coffee shop’s kopi gao, or just the instant kind (any kind, doesn’t matter, as long as it perks you up). It’s familiar-tasting, dependable and works its magic just fine for you; so why fix your daily fix that isn’t broken? To switch things up and make staying in a little more exciting, to challenge your taste buds or expand your palate, because you are attempting to be a serious coffee lover; there are as many reasons why you should buy or brew your own new coffee as there are various coffee beans, blends and flavours out there. Start with the 3 coffee roasts from Hook Coffee and 1 robust cuppa from Rocky Master below to find your next new caffeine fixes and faves.
Summer Perudise
First, a little background about Hook Coffee, the providers of this coffee. They’re a coffee specialist that sources ethically produced and sustainably grown beans from farms all around the world, and delivers fresh, roasted beans direct to its customers within a week of roasting (it offers a very flexible subscription service). Summer Perudise (from $8; available as ground, whole beans or drip bag) is for those who like some fruitiness to their cuppa. An organic coffee produced by coffee-makers La Union in Peru, this complex-flavoured roast is described as having the sweetness of currants, the sweet tartness of pink guava and plum-like tanginess. Sounds like it will make the perfect caffeine drink for our ever-summery Singapore.
Crazy Rich Almonds
Coffee lovers and fans of the movie, Crazy Rich Asians, this might be your beans to try. Think dark chocolate and roasted almonds, luscious and rich tasting, then throw all of that in a bag of beans roasted to a “medium” degree. Chocolaty, nutty, yummy – this rounded-, full-bodied and sweet coffee from Sao Paulo, Brazil, has a creamy mouthfeel and a low acidity (from $10; available as ground, whole beans or drip bag). Meaning, it could be brewed as comfort drink for days where you just want to laze out on your comfy sofa at home, waft along on its delish aroma and daydream… of being a crazy, rich Asian.
50 Shades of Earl Grey
Love the name, love the taste. This coffee will gently freshen up your senses with its notes of Earl Grey, bergamot rind, and lavender and jasmine flowers. An idea of exporter and producer Abdullah Bagersh’s (the general manager of Bagersh Coffee, one of Ethiopia’s oldest coffee growers, roasters and distributors), this lot is obtained from the Yirgacheffe region in Southern Ethiopia (widely considered the birthplace of coffee). Light and clean-tasting, 50 Shades of Earl Grey (from $10; available as ground, whole beans or drip bag) has citric acidity, some sweetness and of course, a tea-like finish and fragrance thanks to the lavender notes within.
Tip: If none of the aforementioned three coffees from Hook Coffee hit the right notes with you, then you might want to try the “Coffee Match Quiz” on its site. It’s an easy and playful way for you to know what kind of coffee flavour you might go for, and for Hook Coffee to recommend one to you.
Summer Perudise, Crazy Rich Almonds and 50 Shades of Earl Grey are all available at Hook Coffee, www.hookcoffee.com.sg; www.facebook.com/hookcoffeesg; www.instagram.com/hook_coffee
BONUS: SAFRA members get to enjoy 50% off first subscription (from $10), 10% off storewide, or 15% off storewide and a mystery gift with any purchase at Hook Coffee. Click here and here, respectively, for more information.
devil’s brew
If brewing your own cup or trying fancy, newfangled blends are not, well, your cup of tea, then a traditional brew might just be your liquid gold. The signature gourmet coffee of homegrown cafe chain Rocky Master, this is, according to the café, “specially blended and roasted, with a body and aroma like no other”, which according to some online reviews, translates as strong, silky smooth, and “full of coffee flavour” – kinda like a good, trusty cup of filtered coffee, then. A takeaway cup (available hot or cold) can be had for around $5; there’s also a devil’s latte that costs a tad more if you can’t take coffees of the battery acid kind. If you have a whole family of coffee drinkers, there’s also a Coffee Commuter Set ($28.90), a takeaway container that comes with disposable coffee cups, sugar and milk, which serves 8 to 10 cups. And, you might as well order its halal-certified fare (such as quesadillas, pizzas, pasta and even local delights like laksa and curry chicken) while you are at it. It’ll be your wake-me-up plus family meal time, settled.
Available at Rocky Master, multiple locations, www.rockymaster.com.sg; www.facebook.com/RockyMasterSingapore; www.instagram.com/rockymaster_sg
BONUS: SAFRA members get to enjoy 10% off a la carte menu items and a 1-for-1 regular latte at $5.80 (U.P. $11.60) at Rocky Master. Click here and here, respectively, for more information.
Featured image: Shutterstock
