Seasonal Drinks

A Little Seasonal Adjustment
By Daniel Sennet


It seems like you can throw a stone and hit a café that serves a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Or rather, a normal latte with a shot of generic pumpkin spice flavoring. Feeling in the mood for something a little different, I set forth on a mission to find some more unique seasonal variations than your normal latte or cappuccino.

I started at the north end of our hood at The Mill and worked my way south towards the  51st Bakery and Cafe over the course of a few days. Along the way, I was impressed, intrigued, and even a little surprised.  I’m happy to report that if you seek, you shall find some delicious seasonal drinks that warm your soul.

Starting off at the Mill on 11th Street and 44th, I walked into a very modern, yet homey coffee shop. According to the website, it “is situated on the ground level of an industrial-era warehouse-turned-office building”  that houses designers, artists, contractors and other creative professionals that apparently each had a hand in making the Mill a very welcoming place to grab a drink. The menu boasts your standards with a few extras like a pour-over and the drip. For my purposes, I grabbed a Hot Apple Cider brewed with mulling spices. Hailing from upstate and reveling in the freshness of apple season – this fresh and [perhaps too] sweet drink was a steal at $3 and worthy of a repeat visit. Hurry up though, New York’s apple season is short and their seasonal drink varies often.

In the need for some caffeine, I stopped in a Communitea, a staple of our neighborhood, but unfortunately, no longer in business at its present location (as of the timing of publication). They were reliable in their efforts to produce variety in their espresso-based offerings. And while they are guilty of using pump-syrups to flavor their drinks, the final result was delicious enough to grant forgiveness.  I was VERY tempted to go with the Chocolate Pig (a home-made hot chocolate with bacon syrup), but decided on the Toasted Hazelnut Latte. Weighing in a $3.50 for the small, it was undeniably enjoyable.  Similar to the Mill, the strong character of the café could be tasted in the drink. 

A few hours later, at the risk of crashing, I stopped in at Long Island City’s most renowned café, Sweetleaf. I inquired about their seasonal offerings and was given a long list of cocktails. Talk about temptation staring right at you! I then (hesitantly)clarified by asking about their non-alcoholic seasonal offerings. I was surprised by the answer I got, which was that each coffee offered was seasonal. They only served freshly roasted beans that are in season in some part of the world. Today’s was a Columbian bean that was delivered to the store yesterday! The coffee was smooth and slightly bitter with a robust lasting finish. Even at a steep $3 for a small glass, it’s worth it if you’re seeking to switch it up from your normal daily roast.

Later on in the week, I strolled into the recently opened Beans, Leaves and Grapes on 50th Ave just by Center. Clearly the most upscale of the coffee shops to open, it was perhaps unsurprisingly, the most expensive. Their seasonal offering was an uninspired  and rather bland-tasting version of the Pumpkin Spice Latte that weighed in at $4.90! The ‘beans’ on the menu were all similarly priced on the higher end of the price spectrum.  My wife enjoyed a decaf herbal hibiscus tea that was brewed carefully on the spot, was extremely delicious and relative to other dedicated tea shops in Manhattan, quite cheap at $3. I look forward to returning so that I can try out the leaves part of the menu – as their wine list looked well curated, but for now, it won’t be a return stop on the caffeine trail.

Finally, I made it out to the 51st Bakery and Café, a French-inspired café, ironically helmed by an British Gentleman who has focused his menu and environment on simplicity. I ordered a latte and asked about the availability of anything seasonal. He pointed to his pumpkin muffin but then offered up a cinnamon flavoring to my latte. I agreed, somewhat hesitantly, but was extremely surprised to drink arguably the most delicious latte neighborhood, priced quite reasonably at $3.50. I don't know if its because he was a master barista or he used Intelligentsia-roasted beans (more likely), this was outright fantastic and surely worthy of a return trip at my earliest convenience.

All in all, this was a fun adventure. Seasonality doesn't seem to have a big part in Long Island City's burgeoning coffee scene, and honestly, I'm grateful. These cafés are just finding their comfort zone and honing in on what works and what doesn't for the growing population. I agree with the philosophy at 51st Café - just stick to the basics and do them very well.