A Tribute to Drinking…Coffee at Stratus Lounge

In honors of National Coffee Day on September 29, Stratus Lounge partnered with La Colombe to introduce two signature cocktails: Despacito and Carte Blanche.

Inspired by Mexican hot chocolate, head lead bartender Mirek Struniaksi created Despacito, a smoky, spicy tequila and mezcal-based cocktail with cinnamon and orange notes, to honor the traditional sweet and spicy flavors. While there is certainly heat in this drink, it’s smoothed by La Colombe’s Pure Black cold brew and balanced with Aztec chocolate bitters. Put all together, this drink was my personal favorite of the night. Thankfully, it’s offered regularly – not just for National Coffee Day.

I also tried Carte Blanche, a sweeter cocktail made from Aztec chocolate bitters, whiskey, and La Colombe’s signature draft latte that is off-menu and only available for National Coffee Day. While much creamier, I personally did not enjoy the mixture of sweet and heat from Carte Blanche’s combination of whiskey and draft latte as I did the spiciness of Despacito. That being said, those with a sweeter tooth will enjoy Carte Blanche.

Overall, Stratus Lounge put out two winning cocktails to honor National Coffee Day. Based on my time at Stratus, I can only hope that they decide to honor National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day (October 21) or National Chocolate Day (October 28) as well.