The Tala Blog
Featured Article
The Return of the Baklava Latte
It started as an experiment, and now it’s the drink our regulars refuse to let us take off the seasonal menu. The beloved Baklava Latte was formerly an exclusive drink at our Libertyville café, but it was met with such rave reviews that we knew it needed a semi-permanent spot on the seasonal menu at all of our cafes.
Brewing vs. Buying: A straightforward Cost Analysis
By brewing coffee at home, you can do less running in your day, you can work smarter and prepare your coffee routine for the week ahead without even going out (shout out to Coffee Club and Neighborly deliveries), and you can save money! Plus you get really delicious coffee whenever you want or need it. And you definitely need it Monday mornings, and Tuesday, and Wednesday. . . Don’t get us wrong, we love serving you coffee at the cafe, but we also understand that sometimes you want to save. We believe you should be able to save money while also enjoying excellent coffee.
The Story Behind Mico de Noche
“When we were looking for a new coffee (in 2021) we had this gap in our lineup for a coffee that was really round, really rich, really sweet and approachable. We were specifically cupping coffees to find something that was everything that the Mico de Noche was which was the really approachable warm flavors that are super easy to market, super easy to enjoy. We were looking for a bridge between our house blend Ruca and some of the other single origins that we had. It was kind of a gateway coffee, if you will”, Keith shares after recalling their first cupping of Mico De Noche over a year ago.
Winter Drink Menu 2023
We’re getting creative to fight the mid-winter blues. This year on the winter drink lineup we have the Espresso Coquito, The Irish Goodbye, and The Ice Melt latte all coming back for another round! For those of you who are always looking for our newest (or maybe oldest?!) creation, we are excited to bring back the Moose Tracks Latte!
New year, new aspirations and of course, more coffee!
In honor of the upcoming year and rounding up the last few moments of 2022, we have asked Tala team to take a moment and share their new year’s resolutions or past year’s fondest memories. Since so many of us get to see so many of you everyday- you all can join us and check in on our progress as we chat across the bar! With that, here are the Tala team’s reflections and hopes as we end yet another wonderful year!
Holiday Shopping for All!
We know how tricky holiday shopping can be. And while we try to tell ourselves we’re going to be proactive and get everything done by early December, there’s always one to two people who give us no ideas. So we procrastinate and scroll online… and procrastinate some more. And wish there was someone who could just tell us what they wanted!
Holiday Drink Menu 2022
The long-awaited Holiday drinks are now available in the cafe. We have some rock-star drinks returning this year, with some slight improvements. Just the other day I had a customer say, “dude I’ve literally been waiting a year for this.”
Happy Tala-days!
This year we celebrate the whimsical imagination of a faraway land of fluffy trees and funny hair and lots and lots of Christmas cheer, and one bad apple with a very green hand, who seeks his vengeance on the land… Wait—did that rhyme?
A Reminder of Intentionality
Boy are we thankful for yet another Small Business Saturday! We love a good reason to celebrate around here–especially when it means celebrating the people and the community that are constantly supporting us.
A Particular Coffee
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been offering a naturally processed coffee from El Salvador. To be more specific, we’ve been offering a particular variety of coffee, from a particular lot, on a particular farm, from a particular famer, Mr. Johnny Lemus, located in Chalatenango. In case you missed it, everything about this coffee is particular.