Rough Draft
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Talk about a fusion for the ages: bookstore, bar, and cafe. It couldn’t be enough that the name is an impeccable pun; this multi-talent had to also had to go ahead and be the perfect modern reconfiguration of the Kingston Academy, New York State’s first two-year college founded in 1774. Don’t worry, the history is still there, with a metal plate, slightly arched and wrought with a centered ACADEMY above the entryway. That said, the interior with low ceilings and walls of brick and the widest array of fortifying stones, is aglow with jar pendant lamps and mostly simple wood shelves, on which books are stacked, propped, and sloped for the easy-going and spirited browser. Sprinkle in a cool and attentive barista/bartender (he slid seamlessly over to the register when we approached to order), a French Bulldog skeleton at joining you at the espresso machine, and chalk boards, inset into rounded brick (obviously former portals), scribbled with literary-themed drinks, drafts, and a welcome, and you no longer have a cafe—you have a thesis of place. Go ahead, turn this paper in; it’s the final draft. No more edits needed...or possible.
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Drink: The Jane Hare
Carrots. Wait, it was chalked up a little more aptly: CARROTS. The other ingredients weren’t as questionable—espresso, brown sugar, spices, choice of milk—and you could get it iced or hot. I had to know how they incorporated carrots. So, I pestered the guy. It wasn’t a dose of shredded, cubed, or pulverized orange. Rather it was—as I suspected—a house made carrot syrup made from a start of real carrots, blended and passed through a mesh sleeve or a cheese cloth. On Instagram they call it “real carrot juice,” but that’s not what I gathered from my conversation with the chill counter presence. The Instagram post adds vanilla and makes note of the spices as a “proprietary RD spice combo.” While I’ve detailed the drink here, all that matters is this: Counter Culture’s gradient shines in this drink. And, regarding the carrots? Like drinking the fall that is your warm living room and a carrot soufflé. Incredible.
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Drink: “Orange Dream” Cold Brew
Because I was with adventurous company, I got a chance to try a second drink. A blend of almond milk, ice, orange, cold brew coffee, and vanilla, it avoids registering like a creamsicle, but it is brighter than orange blossom. I make that latter observation thinking back to a drink I once had at Easy Luck Coffee and Bodega in Orlando, Florida. I just couldn’t help comparing this with that Orange Blossom Latte (which I’d had with cashew milk). They’re different drinks for sure, but I’m glad this orange experiment from Rough Draft also goes plant milk. My companion offered that there is some aftertaste with this drink, but I’d argue that that’s to be expected. What is the one drink you should never have before brushing your teeth (I’ll include the answer in the Extra Notes below)? Exactly.
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Price*: Jane Hare (Drink of the Month)=$6; “Orange Dream” Cold Brew=$5
*I noticed on the board that there is an +$0.25 fee for paper to-go cup, but they didn’t charge us for it. Not sure about the “Orange Dream” Cold Brew…
Hours: Everyday {8–20}
Extra Notes:
Answer: Orange juice