[title]
When it comes to coffee, we're partial to the classics: a straight-up cappuccino or a traditionally-made Americano tickle our fancy over the sugar-heavy Frappuccino drinks that drench our social media newsfeeds. Yet, a mere scroll through Not As Bitter's Instagram account, a new coffee shop that just opened at 214 East 10th Street by First Avenue in the East Village, proves that specialty drinks may, in fact, deserve more attention.
Specializing in coffee and lattes made with fresh fruits, Not As Bitter has concocted some pretty interesting combinations that remind of some of the best cocktails bars in New York.
Examples include the No Sour Grapes Here, a shaken cold brew with fresh grapes, and the Durian Latte, made with the large, spiky fruit that's native to Southeast Asia.
What initially caught our attention, though, is Not As Bitter's take on butter beer—the magical beverage served to wizards in the Harry Potter universe. Yes, you can now get butter beer in New York!
The drink is made by whipping coffee and syrup into a creamy foam that is then poured on top of milk. According to co-owner Jeffrey Wang, the resulting creation "tastes like a dessert," which sounds incredible to us.
When asked about the concept behind his shop, Wang reveals that his distaste for the bitterness of coffee catalyzed the project.
"I started experimenting with all kinds of ingredients together with coffee to cover up the bitter taste," he said. "The menu at Not As Bitter today is a refined list of specialty drinks after much trial and error."
As for the name of the cafe, it's a semi-play on words—just like the menu items' monikers.
"It's a joke about coffee being bitter but not as bitter as our job/work," said Wang. "It grew on us as the 'not as bitter' part made sense since our original goal was to make coffee that emphasized the creaminess and fragrance of it over the bitterness normally associated with not-so-good [java]."
Bonus points: every single drink on offer at Not As Bitter looks absolutely phenomenal on social media. New followers are guaranteed.