Tucked away in a humble little nook at the intersection of William and Main Street, magic is happening. Baristas bustle behind the counter mixing up black rose and London fog elixirs, steaming milk into tiny whirlwinds that will soon be the paint with which to create latte art worthy of a spot in the Louvre. But this isn’t just any old café. Something more unique is brewing behind the espresso machines at Teaspressa.
The Backstory
After years of working behind counters akin to those at Teaspressa today, Allison DeVane decided to experiment with her own spin on caffeine: instead of tamping finely ground coffee beans into the porter-filters of an espresso machine, she applied the same treatment to powered tea leaves, creating a “whole new beverage category” of her own. Thus, Teaspressa was born.
Building a Café Concept
What started out as a curious idea quickly evolved to into three brick and mortar café locations— two of which are located in Arizona’s largest cities and one right here in Ann Arbor, Michigan— and an online retail business with a breathtaking blog to boot. Speaking from my own experience in visiting the Ann Arbor location, the physical space of Teaspressa alone was enough to draw me in and encourage me to set up shop in its embrace for the rest of my afternoon studying. But beyond the vibrant plants and the ever-Instagramable C’est la Tea neon sign at the entrance of the café, it was the friendly staff and exquisite drink combinations that officially sealed the deal for me.
Spoon Michigan Gets a Tour
While touring the little shop with the rest of my Spoon Chapter, we were showered with samples of flavor combinations that were even unfamiliar and exciting to my seasoned palate. We threw down Dixie cup shot after shot of the London Fog, Black Rose, and Swiss Ivory iced beverages, turning to each other often to oooo and ahhh at the flavors dancing on our tongues. Then we watching in awe as Rachel, the general manager of the Ann Arbor location, demonstrated the making of several of Teaspressa’s signature layered drinks. A dash of black rose elixir here. A turn of the wrist to pull a shot of tea and a glug of milk there. And, with one last final shower of edible glitter, we found ourselves standing in front of the most photogenic drink we had ever laid eyes on. Instinctively we all grasped for our phones, beginning to snap our caffeine fluttering hearts away. These photos weren’t even going to need a filter.
The Pink Bagel!
As the cherry on top of our Spoon Teaspressa adventure, our final experience was getting to taste the menu’s ruby red bagel: a toasted treat smeared with a healthy dose of beet cream cheese and adorned with lime, honey, salt, pepper, and a dusting of rose petals on top. Now I’m quite the adventurous eater and have made my share of unusual but delicious combinations, but this one takes the cake in terms of delivering such an all inclusive taste bud experience.
With our thirst quenched, our bellies full, and our brains bursting with caffeine-induced motivation, we left Teaspressa for the night and entered back into the real world of school and responsibilities. But I know with certainty that we will all be back soon to experience the magic behind its welcoming doors.