Coffee Cocktails, Anyone.?

Can a cup of Java be as intoxicating and complex as a mixed drink? The answer is a surprising yes.There are an elite grouping of coffee bars that are taking the average cup of coffee to new levels.It's coffee but for the coffee affection ado. These spruced up brews were the subject of an extensive article in today's Wednesday New York Times Dining section.Oliver Strand, newcomer to the section, got the lucky chance to taste a variety of different shots.A Los Angeles coffee shop has the honors of being the most innovAtive and the best (although some New York City coffee shops come in close).The owners, Charles, Babinski and Kyle Glamville, are the owners of two places, G & B Coffee and GoGet Em ,Tiger.Where they make coffee with only whole milk and real sugar.Any thing even vaguely diet related is not allowed.This simply creates a better cup. They do add a homemade almond macadamia milk to their lattes.It's first shaken over ice with espresso,then strained into a chilled Mason jar.Ice is then added and it's not must any cube.The ice is made from a Kold Draft ice maker, a machine only found in cocktail bars.The result is more a cocktail dessert hybrid, elevating it to a new level of Joe?they also are the ones behind the coffee milkshake, two double shots of espresso blended with fresh made vanilla ice-cream that has also been dusted with espresso grounds. Babinski and Glanville have gone a step further.They have mixed homemade Ginger beer, exciting on , with espresso to create a drink called The Dark And Stormy.Mr.Babinski has also toyed with the idea of carbonating the coffee to create floats.They have already broken new ground with a trio of drinks called The Business And Pleasure.This is a shot of espresso ,carbonated ice tea,with the fizz made with citra hops and an iced almond macadamia milk cappuccino. Their idea for these new creations came from when both worked at different coffee companies.While doling out cookie cutter cappuccinos and lattes both men talked to regulars about what they really liked and wanted. Their first two creations were a nod to the. Christmas and Thanksgiving holidays.They infused cream with fresh mint for their peppermint mocha while the pumpkin spice latte has freshly ground spice base of nutmeg,Ginger, allspice clove and cinnamon.The eggnog latte started off in a growler, a canister where mixed drinks are made.Other coffee companies around the US are trying similar recipes.Intelligentsia Coffee inManhattan has a coffee drink based opacity fave, the egg cream .Black and Blue Curee Coffee in Austin, Texas puts coffee in kegs and serves it like a frothy stout.In San Francisco,tonic is added to the brew at Saint Frank to create a fizzy Brazilian tonic.while Washington DC Mockingbird Hill has a Kenya Cola .It also has an extra kick of bitters to it. Thanks to coffee innovators , a cup of Joe will be an experience and not just a daily jolt to wake up.There will be new ways and new methods to turn this ancient brew into something sophisticated and modern.It won't just be aborting cup with froth anymore.