Love Thy Coffee

Eat fresh, eat local.... blah blah blah. I never gave local eating much thought before living on Whidbey Island. Then again I've never lived this close to farms, wineries, and AMAZING coffee. It's so much easier to buy local, so I am! And I've fallen in love.... with Honeymoon Bay Coffee. (The shop is behind Safeway and across from Papa Murphy's, for those Oak Harbor residents) Roast Master Mike Donohoe sells only Certified Organic and Fair Trade beans that he roasts each day. Talk about fresh! You can sit in the cozy chairs and enjoy a cup while you watch Mike use the giant vintage roaster to produce small batches of specialty beans. Words can't express the intoxicating aromas.

All that aside... what truly changed my habit of buying "whatever is on sale" (that sat on the shelf who knows how long) was the taste of freshly roasted and brewed coffee. It actually tasted like coffee should taste. What a difference! Sometimes I drink it black, just to enjoy the smooth richness that I missed with grocery store coffee. Drinking is the easiest part. Deciding which blend to buy is a difficulty. I usually go for the darker variety (like French roast), but their Reveille Reveille blend has enough kick to get ya going any rainy Whidbey morning without tasting burnt. We've also tried Buzz Bomb and Oak Town Decaf, which are lighter roasts but full of flavor. (For a full list check out the website: http://www.honeymoonbaycoffee.com/)

The only bad thing about buying local and being in the Navy is that you become attached to your favorite spots, then the Navy makes you move. I guess the upside is that you can find more fun local spots. So even if you don't live near Honeymoon Bay Coffee, try to find a local roaster and experience fresh roasted coffee for yourself. You'll never go back!