For some of us, every day is unofficially Coffee Day, but the official National Coffee Day is just around the corner: September 29. Celebrate by pouring yourself another cup of your best brew and by planning a visit to these coffee-centric destinations.
Coffee Treats in New York
At The New York Palace hotel, the World Cup (and summer) live on thanks to their on-site French pastry shop Pomme Palais. The patisserie teamed up with illy coffee's master barista, Giorgio Milos, to create a cold brew using illy’s single origin Mono Arabica Coffee combined with cachaça in a drink called The Brewzilian ($19). It's available in the hotel's Trouble's Trust bar and Tavern on 51 restaurant.
Over at the Refinery Hotel's Parker & Quinn restaurant, The Craic Iced Coffee ($14) is made with Jameson's Black Barrel Irish Whiskey infused with vanilla beans, coffee beans, and raw sugar, and Kobruck's Coffee (double-brewed in house); topped with the bar's house-made Grand Marnier whipped cream, and sprinkled with shaved chocolate.
Coffee Treatments in Puerto Rico
W Retreat & Spa Vieques Island’s signature AWAY Spa has a variety of treatments for guests to indulge in local coffee culture while overlooking the Atlantic Ocean just eight miles off the coast of Puerto Rico. One noteworthy treatment is the “Café con Coco Scrub,” a freshly prepared combination of Encantos Puerto Rican coffee grounds, local shredded coconut and kukui coconut oil. The treatment is designed to hydrate the skin while increasing circulation.
Stressed-out men need pampering, too. The Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino’s Zen Spa offers a coffee-infused stress relieving treatment for well-groomed male business travelers called “The Executive Man.” Designed to relieve stress from head to toe, the treatment includes a “Cappuccino Buff” that uses a ground coffee exfoliating scrub. The treatment begins with an aromatherapy deep tissue massage, followed by a deep-cleansing facial, the signature gentleman’s manicure, a callus-reducing pedicure as well as a sauna and steam treatment.
Coffee Package in Costa Rica
For the truly dedicated caffeine enthusiasts, the Costa Rica Marriott San Jose, which is actually set on a 30-acre coffee plantation, is offering a Coffee Lover's Retreat package for two, which saves 50 percent on current rates. The package includes a 50-minute coffee scrub at the property’s Kuö Spa, a complimentary “Marriott Blend” bag of Costa Rican coffee, and a two-for-one discount for a tour of the nearby Café Britt Coffee plantation. The Coffee Lover’s Retreat offer starts at $175 per night and can be booked online or by calling 1-800-228-9290 and using the rate code WK1.
Coffee-Themed Travels
Bogotá: If you happen to be in Bogotá, pay a visit to Cafe de la Fonda on Calle 24, downtown. Strangely enough, much of the coffee available in Colombia (the world's third-biggest producer) is imported and poor quality, so Cafe de la Fonda is a rare chance to enjoy Colombian coffee in Colombia. Order a Café Tinto in the small cafe, pick up a couple of bags to bring home, and take a peek at the roasting plant in the back room.
The Finger Lakes, NY: Though the region is much better known for its wines, it is also home to Java Gourmet and Keuka Lake Coffee Roasters, fusing coffee and food into an award winning, artisanal, coffee-based specialty food company. You can visit the specialty product store overlooking Keuka Lake to pick up some items from Java Gourmet. All products are small batch produced, all natural and MSG, gluten and trans fat free. Besides the well-known Java Rubs, in flavors such as Mocha, Mojito, and Blood Mary, Java Gourmet also produces more than 30 products including sauces and marinades, a brine, dessert topper, finishing salt, Java Grind, and Java Bark, an espresso bean and chocolate confection.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for great coffee destinations; check out some more of our suggestions in this article.
