Spencer's Coffee House - Bowling Green, KY

Today we take a journey a bit south to my homeland...Kentucky.  I'm currently living at home for a month to help take care of a sick family member.  I spend most of my day making pretty bland food for picky taste buds, but every so often I am able to take a break and get out of the house. The past two times that I left the house I ended up at the same place:  Spencer's Coffee House in Bowling Green, KY.

I love local coffee places. They feel so much more genuine than a Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. Plus, there's nothing like drinking coffee or tea out of a real, ceramic mug.  The first time I visited this establishment I had their drip coffee of the day. I WISH I had photographed what kind of coffee it was because it was really delicious. The coffee was perfectly brewed and didn't feel like it had sat in a container all day (we drank the coffee at 9:00 at night...and you never know how long it's been there!).  The coffee was rich and not bitter, high in (excuse the snobby term) tannin which filled my whole mouth with balanced flavor notes. Basically, this was a darn good cup of joe!

Hooded Sweatshirt Latte

The second time we went, I had to try their hooded sweatshirt latte. Why? Well, first of all, with a name like "hooded sweatshirt" I was intrigued. Secondly, how can a drink be like a sweatshirt? I took my first sip and understood why. The flavors were similar to a "pumpkin spice" but surprisingly different at the same time. When I took a sip, I felt like I was enveloped in fall; warm, creamy and spicy. It's like I was...wrapping up in a hooded sweatshirt! Seriously, I wish I could take this mug of warmth home with me so that I could experience my favorite season, fall, in a cup every day.

The atmosphere at Spencer's is typical coffee shop, but the place had a nice homey feel to it as well. It could be the exposed brick, 10 foot high ceilings, or the hardwood tables and chairs...and yes, you can tell that this is where the KY hipsters go...but everyone was very friendly (I expect nothing less in the South!) and you can tell they are dedicated to their coffee. If you're ever driving through KY, you should totally take a little detour off the interstate to try this place!