Category Archives: Coffee

May 4, 2015 · 11:11 am

Hidden Gem: Honeysuckle Tea House in Chapel Hill


Now that spring is here I wanted to share with you about a magical place I came across hidden in Chapel Hill last year. The Honeysuckle Tea House is one of those hidden gems in the Triangle I think everyone needs to visit. It’s like no other tea house I have ever come across. The tea house is a large open air wood frame structure situated on top of four shipping containers tucked away in rural Chapel Hill. It has a great tranquil vibe and is surrounded by several acres of land with 72 raised cedar herb-beds, a green house and and a six acre berry and Camellia farm.


The primary aim of Honeysuckle Tea House is to share with the community the idea of “food as medicine” by serving certified herbal teas, locally roasted Carrboro Coffee, Tinctures, and Honeys, and other local products made on site. In addition to the healthy foods and herbal remedies the tea house hosts numerous Wellness Workshops and serves the community by hosting local musicians weekly with performances every Friday & Saturday evening, 7pm-9pm, and each Sunday afternoon, 2PM-4PM on their outdoor cedar stage (or inside the tea house if it rains). You can view the upcoming music schedule here.


The open air seating area is a relaxing place to enjoy drink or have lunch while taking in the peaceful surroundings. Food wise the menu includes wraps, garden salads and pastries (including some gluten free options). On the day I visited my wife and I shared a gluten free muffin and each had a glass of incredible jasmine herbal iced tea. It was so relaxing sitting up above the gardens and gazing out of the tea house at the blue sky as we slowly sipped away on our cool drinks. I actually felt like I was vacationing at an island oasis half a world away from the hustle and bustle of Raleigh.


A return visit to this teahouse is high on my list of things to do this week now that the weather is perfect for enjoying the outdoors. It makes for a fun afternoon trip from Raleigh if you are looking for a getaway or just want to try something new. The tea house is only open during the warmer months of the year and closes each winter for the season so don’t miss your chance to check it out this spring & summer. It is currently open daily Sun-Thur 9am-9pm and Fri & Sat 9am-10pm. For directions and more information about the teas and other products they offer visit their website http://www.honeysuckleteahouse.com/.

Honeysuckle Tea House
8871 Pickards Meadow Road
Chapel Hill, NC, 27516 (map)
website: http://www.honeysuckleteahouse.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honeysuckleteahouse

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February 23, 2015 · 3:18 pm

“A Film About Coffee” Raleigh Premiere at Sola Coffee March 2nd

After screenings all over the world, Sola Coffee announces the premiere of director Brandon Loper’s documentary “A Film About Coffee“.

The feature-length documentary from San Francisco-based production company and content collective, Avocados and Coconuts, and takes a deep dive into the specialty coffee industry, examining what it takes and what it means for coffee to be distinguished as “specialty.”

Film Synopsis
“A Film About Coffee” seeks to answer how the titular beverage has become a mainstay of culture all over the world. The film follows the production of coffee from farms in Honduras and harvests in Rwanda to its global consumption. Listening to farmers, buyers, roasters and baristas about the crop’s economic and environmental implications both locally and abroad, the narrative travels to coffee shops in Tokyo, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco and New York, with stops in between. Dropping in on artisanal cafes to investigate how each prepares its own unique cup, the film opens a window into the little-understood world of specialty coffee.

Dates & Ticket Info
The screening will be held March 2nd at Sola Coffee Cafe. Join the staff at 7pm for a coffee tasting with Counter Culture’s Lem Butler. The documentary begins at 7:30pm. Tickets may be purchased at Sola and are $10 (includes a complimentary coffee, beer or wine). Dinner may also be purchased. Space is limited. To guarantee a seat it is recommended that tickets be purchased ahead of time.

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February 3, 2015 · 5:08 pm

Coffee Crate Monthly Subscription Service Featuring NC Roasters

Just before the holidays I had the chance to try Coffee Crate, a new Durham-based  coffee subscription service that focuses on North Carolina coffee roasters. The box I received included three 4-ounce bags of whole bean coffee from three different NC roasters.  This was the first time I tried a service like this and came away very impressed. I think coffee subscriptions are a fun way to try new coffees and make great gifts for the coffee geek in your life. I’m particularly fond of this new service by Coffee Crate because they are local and feature NC roasters, several of which you can’t normally find for sale here in the Triangle.

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The three individual four ounce bag of beans contained in each delivery go a long way. I enjoyed all three roasters included in the box I received. The coffees featured were a Kenyan coffee from Joe Van Gogh (Hillsborough), a Yirgacheffe, Ethiopia roasted by Mount Air Roasting (Asheville), and a nice espresso blend by Beans Boro Roastery (Greensboro). All three were very fresh (roasted just that week) and made for excellent cups of coffee. I enjoyed experimenting with the Kenyan and Yirgacheffe using my Chemex and  pulled several great espresso shots to make cappuccinos using the Beans Boro blend.

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As an added bonus the delivery also included a chocolate chip cookie from the Appalachia Cookie Company along with a printout with details about each coffee. Coffee Crate offers multiple subscription options ranging from 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, and one year. Subscription prices range from  $29 for 1 month to $23/month if you sign up for a year. Shipping is included in the price.  There is still time to sign up for their February deilivery which will offer coffee from NC roasters Enderly, Biltmore , and Reposo. I was very happy with my box of coffee from Coffee Crate and recommend you check them out. For more details about their monthly subscription service visit their website at http://coffeecrate.co/.

Coffee Crate – Durham, NC
Website: http://coffeecrate.co/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/coffeecrate
Twitter: @CoffeeCrate
Instagram: @CoffeeCrate

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December 29, 2014 · 12:10 pm

Local Coffee: Back Alley Coffee Roasters

Back Alley Coffee Roasters – Wake Forest, NC

Did you know there is a new coffee roaster in the Triangle?  Back Alley Coffee Roasters is a small batch roaster located just north of Wake Forest in Youngsville, NC. Back Alley was started by local resident Tracy McKenzie after 10 years of home roasting and sharing his coffee with friends. I recently had the pleasure of sampling three of Back Alley’s current offerings with coffee from (Kenya, Ethiopia, and Costa Rica). I enjoyed experimenting with all three using the traditional drip, pour over and the AeroPress method. All three coffees arrived extremely fresh (just roasted days prior) and I found each made for a unique and delicious cup of coffee. The Costa Rica made for a clean cup with a smooth finish, while the Ethiopian features I slightly earthier sweeter flavor. The Kenyan was the darkest of the three roasts and I found that in addition to a great pour-over it worked great for pulling shots of espresso to make a full bodied cappuccino.

Pour Over w/ Back Alley’s Kenya Coffee

So where does the name “Back Alley Roasters” come from? As Tracy explains it, after learning of his love for coffee and several requests from coworkers one day he did a little roasting demonstration for his colleagues at work. He set up in the alleyway between two office buildings at work and while the smoke billowed from the roasting beans, they talked about the finer points of roasting over pour over coffees. Someone came out of the building and warned them that the bass was going to hear all the commotion to which somebody replied “We’re just roasting in the Back Alley!” and hence the name of Back Alley Coffee Roasters was born!

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Ethiopia – Costa Rica – Kenya
Back Alley Coffee Roasters

For now Back Alley Coffee can be ordered through their online shop at backalleyroasters.com or by emailing Tracy directly at  tracy (at) backalleyroasters (dot) com. As an added bonus deliveries in the Wake Forest area are free and shipping is available to other areas. I suspect you will also soon be able to find their coffee in select retail locations in the Wake Forest area in 2015. In the meantime, to learn more about Back Alley Coffee Roasters and order some of their coffee beans visit their website here. Happy brewing!

Back Alley Coffee Roasters – Wake Forest, NC
website: http://www.backalleyroasters.com/
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/backalleyroasters
twitter: @backalleycoffee
instagram: @Back_Alley_Roasters

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December 16, 2014 · 9:37 am

Shop Local: The Gift of Local Coffee

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Jubala Village Coffee in North Raleigh

If you have followed my blog for while you know I am a big fan of coffee and enjoy frequenting the many great local coffee shops we have here in the Triangle. As we approach the holidays I wanted to share that local coffee shops are also a great source of gifts for the coffee geek in your life. Most shops sell bags of fresh locally roasted coffee and home coffee brewing equipment like pour over cones, mugs, and coffee servers. If you aren’t sure what to get another convenient option is a gift card.  Your local coffee shop is a great way to shop local. Below is a quick list of some of my “go to” places for local coffee, home brewing gear, and gift cards.

Local Coffee Shops – Gift Cards Available
Brew Coffee Bar – Downtown Raleigh
Bean Traders – Durham
Cafe’ de los Muertos – Downtown Raleigh
Caffe Driade – Chapel Hill
Cocoa Cinnamon* – Durham
Jubala Village Coffee* – North Raleigh
Open Eye Cafe* – Carrboro
Sola Coffee Cafe* – North Raleigh
Well Bean Coffee – Wake Forest

* = Home coffee brewing equipment also available.

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