Coffee; Right Meow!

A friend of mine gave her husband a coffee mug with the quote “Good morning, I see the assassins have failed” printed on it. (It cracks me up every time!) Humans are serious about coffee. Memes on every level of humor tout the rule “Don’t speak to me before I have had my coffee” or “A day without coffee is like… just kidding, I have no idea.” It’s true we like our java hot, cold, and nitro, and we never, I mean never, let it go to waste. Heck, #AskMargie at Visit Wabash County will “warm it up” in the microwave if it cools to a temperature below scalding.

Luckily, we don’t have to go mainstream (ahem, Starbucks) in Wabash County to get an excellent cup of grogg. KenapocoMocha in North Manchester has been brewing coffee on Market Street since 2008. What I really dig about this coffee house (besides the fact that it operates out of an actual renovated brick house) is its dedication to lessening its carbon footprint. This business doesn’t even use a dumpster, nor do they need one! They show their love for Mother Earth by handwashing dishes, composting, and recycling everything that they possibly can. If you happen to need more than just a cup of caffeine, their locally sourced menu is prepared in a scratch kitchen.

K-Mo’s sister from another mister, Modoc’s Market, is also located on Market Street (and Miami Street) in downtown Wabash. The Modoc’s baristas introduced me to Nitro Coffee. What the what? It’s kegged coffee infused with nitrogen gas; cold, bubbly, and frothy just like beer without the alcohol or the calories. The quick-service counter is stocked with in-house-made yogurt parfaits, Caeser wraps, and scones. These purveyors of coffee focus on loving the planet and follow similar practices to K-Mo.

Along with our devotion to blonde, brown, and jet-black coffees, we are just as specific to the cup in which it is served. Modoc’s and K-Mo offer incentive programs for patrons to use their refillable to-go mugs or their hand-washable ones. Both businesses also ditched using styrofoam, thank goodness.

Both locations offer whole-bean coffee that you can grind and brew at home. This is great news for my friend’s husband who keeps escaping the “assassins.” He can refill his favorite eco-friendly mug with fresh homebrew while sporting his morning PJs.

As for me, words cannot espresso how much you bean to me.

Written by Christine Flohr, the executive director of tourism for Visit Wabash County. All “facts” mentioned were found on GOOGLE. More information regarding any of the places mentioned in this article can be found at www.visitwabashcounty.com