LOKAL BREW
I didn't know it then, but the coffee shop was going to be included in the coveted SunStar Best of Cebu list. A few years ago, a local newspaper started curating a list of establishments in Cebu that they gave the Best of Cebu badge for their products or services deemed 'the best' during a particular year. The categories ranged from Best Burger Steak, Best Lechon to Best Hotel, Best Gym, Best Skin Clinic, and more.
On a particular day when I went with my girlfriend to her hometown, Carcar City, we decided to visit a coffee shop that was gaining popularity. It was called Lokal Brew. It was a proper coffee shop with freshly brewed coffee, indoor and outdoor seating, power outlets, and WiFi. We went there at night because we wanted to get some work done. I had a meeting scheduled during that time and I also had some curation duties. My gf also had a Hive post she wanted to finish.
The coffee shop wasn't big. You could see everything from the outside. They had glass walls, wooden furniture, and some wall paintings. There were only a few customers who were inside, so we decided to go in. We saw more paintings on the walls and on one side, there were lined-up books and some dried flowers for sale.
THE COFFEE FLIGHT
We asked for their menu and the barista told us their best sellers. He recommended that if we really wanted to try what they could offer, we should order their Coffee Flight set. It was a set of three shots of different coffee drinks. I was feeling adventurous during that time so I decided to have it.
We were seated near the counter so we could see the barista's equipment and tools. We watched him prepare the different coffee drinks of the Coffee Flight using his grinder, a pour-over, and the espresso machine. We didn't want to intimidate the barista, so we let him do his work while we also tried to do some of our own.
Unfortunately, my meeting got canceled. But we were already there and we'd already ordered, so we just decided to enjoy our stay.
After a few minutes of waiting, my Coffee Flight had arrived. The drinks were served in shot glasses. The barista explained what was in each of the coffees. I can't remember everything he said but I think what I got was a cappuccino, a latte, and their signature cold brew.
This was my first time to try a Coffee Flight so I had no idea how to consume it. There was a small spoon given to me, so I thought I should taste each of the drinks in small amounts. It was strange because two were hot drinks and the other was a cold one. After taking a quick taste test, I decided that I'd enjoy them one after the other. I started with the cappuccino and it was over before I knew it. I love coffee but I'm no expert. The cappuccino was good but it was weird to use a spoon to consume it. Next was the latte. It had a cute heart latte art. I took small sips and fought the urge to have the entire shot. Honestly, I wasn't too excited about the cappuccino and the latte because I knew they would inconvenience me later due to my lactose intolerance.
While I was sipping my way through my small cappuccino shot, my girlfriend was enjoying her chocolate shake. We also ordered their carbonara even though we already had dinner. We wanted to try something from their food menu. The carbonara was made with cream and served with a slice of bread. It was okay, but it wasn't anything special.
Finally, I reached the third shot on my coffee flight, their special cold brew. It had a small slice of orange. I knew how strong cold brews could be and I've tried cold brews from other coffee shops before. But when I tasted their cold brew, I knew it was something else. It was smooth, strong, and yet delicate. How I'd wish I ordered only it and in a larger serving size. It was good. What made it even better was that it was available in the middle of the southern part of Cebu City. Carcar is also a city but it's nowhere near as developed as Cebu, and it was a delight to be able to have a really good cold brew in Carcar.
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Sometime after, when I saw that Lokal Brew got the Best of Cebu Cold Brew, I was not surprised. I was happy that people also found their cold brew really good and good enough to garner an award. I really want to go back to Lokal Brew. I won't be ordering their Coffee Flight again. I've already taken it and I want to go straight to their cold brew.
