Queen’s has a huge coffee culture, and everyone has their coffee shop of choice when it comes to getting caffeinated for that dreaded 8:30. It’s pretty rare to walk into a morning class and find a single person without coffee, so we curated playlists based on your favourite Queen’s coffee shops. Find a playlist below and maybe it will make your trek to morning class a little more exciting.
CoGro (Common Ground Coffeehouse) – The ARC
CoGro is without a doubt the most popular Queen’s coffee shop on campus, and for good reason. With their wide variety of coffees and teas and their famed bagels, CoGro is a great place to start your morning before heading to your 8:30. Here are some chill tunes to go with a classic Queen’s spot to start your day.
1. Someone New – Hozier 2. Stay Alive – Jose Gonzalez
3. Winter – Khalid 4. Towers – Bon Iver 5. Juke Jam – Chance the Rapper 6. Dog Years – Maggie Rogers 7. Pink + White – Frank Ocean 8. Bridges – Broods 9. Weight in Gold – Gallant 10. Angela – The Lumineers
Tim Horton’s – ARC, BioSci, JDUC
Tim’s is a Canadian classic and the most ideal spot for first year students to get the most bang for their buck with TAMs. Tim’s is a particularly great Queen’s coffee place during exam season to get you through long hours in the library, and way too many textbook readings. Here are some songs by Canadian artists to get you through those long hours at Stauff.
1. Wild Things – Alessia Cara 2. Company – Justin Bieber 3. Japanese Denim – Daniel Caesar 4. Passionfruit – Drake 5. In The Night – The Weeknd 6. Bad Reputation – Shawn Mendes 7. 1234 – Feist 8. Electric Love – Serena Ryder 9. Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams 10. Big Yellow Taxi – Joni Mitchell 11. Cut To The Feeling – Carly Rae Jepsen
The Tea Room – ILC
The Tea Room is a hidden gem on Queen’s campus. With more than thirty types of tea for super cheap, and a great variety of other drinks (including coffee!) and snacks, it’s a nice change from the scene that CoGro can be sometimes. Here are some alternative tracks to start your day differently.
1. Say My Name (feat Zyra) – ODESZA 2. Her – Majid Jordan 3. Up & Up – lemin 4. Think About You – VÉRITE 5. No Mythologies to Follow – MØ 6. Belly Side Up – Matt Corby 7. Woman – HONNE 8. Cool Blue – The Japanese House 9. Cigarettes and Chocolate – Chet Faker 10. All the Ways – Wet
The Brew – JDUC
The Brew is a nice escape from the fast-paced hustle of campus, and a great Queen’s coffee spot. Located just steps away from University and Union inside the JDUC, The Brew serves a wide variety of coffees, snacks, sandwiches, and their famous soups. The lines are often shorter than many other coffee places, making it a quieter and calmer way to start your morning. Here are some relaxing songs to start off your day.
1. Say – John Mayer 2. Only Love – Ben Howard 3. Shameful Company – Rainbow Kitten Surprise 4. Dirty Old Town – Craig Cardiff 5. Sophie – Bear’s Den 6. EASE – Troye Sivan 7. Tiger Striped Sky – Roo Panes 8. Comes and Goes (In Waves) – Greg Laswell 9. Vienna – Billy Joel 10. We Find Love – Daniel Caesar
Starbucks – Goodes Hall
The only Starbucks on Queen’s campus is located in Goodes Hall, home to the Smith School of Business, much to the resentment of every other faculty. It’s always busy and a staple for Queen’s coffee lovers and Kingston locals alike. You can often find commies here between classes in their business attire before heading to a big presentation or whatever they do (tbh I’m not really sure). Here are some high-energy songs to keep you motivated to do the thing (whatever that thing may be).
1. Sunday Candy – Donnie Trumpet and the Social Experiment 2. Good Life (feat. T-Pain) – Kanye West 3. HUMBLE. – Kendrick Lamar 4. 3005 – Childish Gambino 5. Doses and Mimosas – Cherub 6. Pursuit of Happiness – Kid Cudi, MGMT 7. Wild Thoughts – DJ Khaled, Rihanna, Bryson Tiller 8. Love on The Brain (Gigamesh remix) – Rihanna 9. All The Way Up – Jay-Z 10. Death of a Bachelor – Panic! At The Disco
Queen’s campus has lots of great coffee options to keep you caffeinated and motivated, and the only thing that could make it better is a great playlist to strut to while you spill your coffee on the walk to class.