In a small, picturesque town, Vashon Island, a fifteen minute ferryboat ride from Seattle, Washington, there’s a historic trendy coffee shop. The Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie. They have espresso – based coffee beverages, plenty of teas to try by the cup, and locally made pastries.
The coffee shop is a popular destination for locals and tourists alike, drawn in by the delicious aroma of freshly roasted coffee and nuts. Here are some popular seasonal beverages you can order in the summer.
London Fog
This is a creamy tea made using Earl Grey. It’s usually got some vanilla syrup, and a slight lavender taste. It’s finished off with steamed frothy milk which makes it in between a typical tea drink and cappuccino.
Iced Matcha Tea
This iced matcha tea has a matcha concentrate with matcha and a splash of hot water frothed together until smooth. It’s got an oat milk base and a pump of syrup can be added as well.
Sas’quets
The sas’quets has a mushroom cacao base and it a bit thicker than your usual coffee brew. It’s lower in caffeine than regular coffee, and tastes like a mocha.
Golden Milk Latte
The golden milk latte is made of a special anti inflammatory mixture which includes turmeric and ginger. It’ got a milk base, and is frothy, spicy and warm.
The coffee roasterie also has a variety of nuts, including almonds, cashews, pecans, and hazelnuts. They are roasted by a fourth-generation cut roaster in a cast – iron historic machine. Each nut requires a different temperature and roasting time to bring out its unique flavor profile. Peter takes great care to ensure that each batch of nuts is roasted to perfection, and he never compromises on quality.
While modern technology has made the process faster and more efficient, there is something special about using historic nut roasting equipment to roast hazelnuts.
Historic nut roasting machines can produce hazelnuts with a unique flavor and texture. The slow roasting process allows the nuts to develop a deep, rich flavor, and the heat from the roasting chamber can impart a smoky flavor that is hard to replicate with modern equipment.
The roasterie sources fresh, high-quality hazelnuts that are still in their shells, as it protects them from burning during the roasting process.
Once the nuts are roasted, Peter adds the nuts to a bowl. The hazelnuts are hand tossed and shaken in the bowl to remove the skins once the roasting process is complete. He then takes a scoop of hazelnuts, weighs them and puts them into a craft paper bag ready for customers.
