Lussi Brown Coffee Bar - Lexington, KY
Let's face it; these days we all lead a hectic life, whether it be commuting between home and work or juggling any number of social engagements that might pop up from time to time. I feel confident in saying that most people need a good pick-me-up when it comes to doing all of this running around; I know I do! I can't imagine my life without coffee, and if we're being honest, I can't imagine my life without the sweet, sweet taste of the occasional "adult" beverage. What do these two things have in common, you say? I don't want to blow your mind, dear reader, but we've happened upon something really special here in the downtown area; Lexington's first coffee cocktail bar!
A unicorn amongst thoroughbreds when it comes to coffee shops in the downtown Lexington area, Lussi Brown Coffee Bar is truly one-of-a-kind with its signature coffee cocktails. This hip little coffee shop, nestled on the corner of Upper Street and Church Street, offers more than just coffee cocktails; they also serve a full menu of plain coffee, espresso drinks, teas, and baked goods. We had a chance to talk to Sarah, one of the owners of Lussi Brown, about what goes into these awesome drinks. She loves the idea of keeping everything local as much as possible, including making their syrups in-house, using tea leaves from MonTea here in Lexington, and buying coffee beans from a vendor in Cincinnati (okay, so that's not exactly local, but it's still pretty close). They even use honey from a farm out of Midway! We here at Bluegrass Bourbon and Eats love all things local, and at Lussi Brown Coffee Bar they have embraced that concept in all aspects of their work.
When we showed up on a chilly November afternoon to take a spin around this new coffee shop, we were ready to get inside and warm up with a nice, hot drink. Walking inside, we were greeted with such a warm atmosphere, literally and figuratively! The coffee shop itself is rather small, yet homey, and the wooden bar and brick accent wall are balanced perfectly with the soft blue tones on the walls. Looking straight back you'll see a long hallway that opens up into a spacious seating area, equipped with some small tables and speakers that seem to always emanate a variety of soothing tunes. I'm a sucker for anything caffeinated, but since this was my first time at Lussi Brown I thought I'd start out with my old standby - the vanilla latte. And let me tell you...that was by far the best vanilla latte I've ever had. I can't even say that I consumed it, really; I genuinely enjoyed it. The texture was so smooth, yet heavy, and to say that it was very comforting is an understatement. Plus it has some pretty sweet latte art, which I just think is so cool. Renee, who isn't much of a caffeine person (unless it's a sweet tea, of course!), perused the menu, and on the suggestion of the very knowledgable barista, landed on an award-winning green and white cherry tea from the aforementioned MonTea tea shop here in town. All of the teas are served in a tiny tea kettle with a unique variety of mugs (Renee's mug was very colorful, I loved it!), and I think this may be how we start to lure her to the dark side of coffee and espresso! And since we were in a shop that serves coffee cocktails, I decided I couldn't leave without trying one of their staple concoctions; the White Russian. I know what you're thinking; milk and vodka...gross! But I'm here to tell you right now that these guys know what they're doing when they mix up coffee cocktails. This drink was so light and balanced, I could tell the vodka was in there but it didn't overpower the other ingredients (all of which are made in-house, including that coffee syrup we mentioned earlier). Sarah served mine shaken on the rocks, and it was a very pleasant drinking experience to say the least! I'm so glad I got to try that, and I can't wait to get back and try all of their other cocktails soon!
The busy downtown location of Lussi Brown Coffee Bar lends itself to the same parking restrictions as all of the other awesome places that we've been to in the area; metered street parking if you're lucky enough to find a spot, or you're free to use one of two nearby parking structures (they're both within walking distance). It's a great spot to pop into if you're out having a nice morning stroll through downtown Lexington, or if you're looking for a nice way to wind down after dinner on a Saturday night (they refer to themselves as the "nightcap bar" informally). Renee and I actually walked by this cool little spot one morning after brunching at Lexington Diner (check out our review of their breakfast, we highly recommend!), and I've been dying to get in here ever since. We were actually approached by Lex TV to come in and interview Sarah about her excellent shop, and she was super cool - I'm so glad we got to go behind the scenes with her! Thanks so much to both of them for bringing us in, it was a great experience. So keep an eye out for that in the coming weeks, we'll let you know when it drops and where you can watch! In the meantime, stop in and try all of the good stuff Sarah and the gang have going on at Lussi Brown Coffee Bar, and let us know what you think; I know we're big fans over here!
