By JOSEPH MALDONADO/Staff Writer
I’m an avid coffee drinker. Nearly a cup a day. However, I’m not an experienced coffee drinker. Much like my food preferences, I stick to what I like. This has led to my regular coffee orders being strictly iced caramel lattes. I see this lack of knowledge as a problem. To combat this, I’ve decided that I’m going to test myself and my palette and order four new kinds of coffee and drinks that I’ve never had before. All four drinks will be from Enoch’s Wine and Coffee House, a quaint little wine and coffee bar across the street from the University of Texas at Tyler.
The first coffee I ventured to try was one of the house specials, Strawberry Stories, created by one of Enoch’s workers, Story Conaughty. The drink is an iced latte, so not too distant from my preferred regular drink, but it has strawberry and dark chocolate mocha syrup flavorings.
From the first sip, I was enchanted by the taste. It was sweet, but the chocolate added some bitterness, so there was still a harsh coffee taste to the drink. The flavors mixed quite well and reminded me of a chocolate strawberry on a midsummer evening. Despite the overly poetic way I’m describing the coffee, it is an extremely delicious drink and makes me eager to try more fruit flavors in my coffee. I’ve always been against combining fruit with chocolate, despite it being a common flavor combination, but Strawberry Stories mixes extraordinarily well.
Story, the creator of the drink, was told she needed to make a drink for the house specials. She wanted to give it a strawberry-flavored focus, but since Enoch’s has a strawberry-based soda, Story wanted to vary it up and decided to mix in chocolate mocha syrup. When I asked her what one word she would use to describe the essence of the drink, she replied, “Valentines”, which is a pretty apt way, to sum up, the feelings the coffee evokes.
While it will probably not become my new regular, Strawberry Stories is a sweet treat for a gloomy day, and I recommend anybody looking for a fruity treat in their coffee would benefit from ordering the amazing drink.
CHECK OUT THE OTHER CUP OF JO’S REVIEWS
Coconilla – Cup of Jo’s Coffee Review
Always looking to try new flavors and Enoch’s is one of my favorite coffee shops in town. Looking forward to more suggestions.