Breath a sigh of relief, coffee addicts of Happy Valley. While we have our fair share of Starbs and Dunkin’s, along with a few local coffee spots, we now have our very own swanky type of coffee shop that you often find in big cities. We’re talking a diverse coffee menu, trendy merch, modern vibes, classy latté art and a killer social media presence. They even roast their coffee beans on-site, so you can be confident in the freshness and quality of your order.
While it’s not easily accessible without a car (unless you like really long walks), Rothrock Coffee is totally worth the drive. With a combination of small and large tables, along with bar seating, it’s a great spot for single studiers and chatty friend groups alike. When you venture beyond downtown for a visit– and trust us, you want to– be sure to give one of these incredible drink options a try.
Photo by Sierra Baldwin
The Affogato
No where else in State College have I been able to find this coffee dessert delight. Two of my favorite substances on earth are coffee and ice cream, and the affogato is a beautiful, sweet, decadent marriage of the two. Espresso is drizzled over a scoop of vanilla ice cream or gelato to make this melty, delicious treat. If you’ve never had one before, Rothrock is the place to go. You’ll find those of us who have had them before lining up right alongside of you.
Photo by Sierra Baldwin
Pour Over Coffee
In case you glazed over the mention above, Rothrock roasts all of its coffee beans on-site. That means many wonderful things for you, the customer. First of all, your coffee is fresh. Secondly, it’s unique. No where else will you find the same flavor profiles in your cup of coffee.
The pour over method is a more controlled approach to making a cup of coffee. Not only is it “cleaner,” which means that it doesn’t yield any residue, but pour over cups of coffee are usually bolder in flavor. While there regular brewed coffee is, of course, delicious, don’t pass up the chance to have a cup of Rothrock coffee brewed by hand just for you.
Photo by Sierra Baldwin
Nitro Coffee
Nitro coffee is nitrogen-infused, cold brew coffee. It’s foamy and creamy and oh-so-delicious. For those of you who don’t drink your coffee black, you just might be able to skip the milk and sugar with this menu option. Just like nitro coffees across the country, Rothrock’s version is pretty expensive. Still, it’s worth the splurge every once in a while.
Cortado
A cortado is an espresso “cut” with a bit of warm milk, and it falls between a straight shot of espresso and a cappuccino on the flavor scale. The warm milk isn’t too frothy, so it’s really just a smoother, more mild shot of espresso. Again, cortados are hard to come by in State College, so if you’re a coffee connoisseur (or coffee connoisseur wannabe) Rothrock should be your coffee shop of choice.
Photo by Sierra Baldwin
Hot Cocoa
Ok, so it’s not exactly coffee, but Rothrock does it so well that we felt it was worth the mention. It’s not too sweet, but it’s definitely creamy. They get bonus points for the cute milk foam designs, too, because sometimes non-coffee drinkers want their own latté art to post on Instagram. This is one to order on the days when you’ve consumed way too much caffeine already but you still need a great study spot.