$pent Millennial

Dear Reader,

Happy summer!

It’s iced coffee season.

This past week, I noticed my partner wasn’t finishing his morning lattes from our beloved little home coffee bar. Curious (and maybe a little concerned), I asked if something was off—was I making them too sweet? Too foamy? Had I frothed the milk to oblivion?

He assured me they were just as delicious as ever. He’s easy to please and never one to hurt my feelings. But I know him well, so I gently pressed again—letting him know I truly wouldn’t take it personally, that I just wanted him to have a morning coffee he enjoys.

After a little pause, he admitted—almost apologetically—that with the humidity and heat this week, the hot lattes just felt a little heavy.

And the thing is… he was right. I hadn’t realized it until he said it, but those early muggy mornings did make our usual warm drinks feel like a bit much. 

Even though I assured him I wouldn’t take it personally or have hurt feelings—I surprised myself when I actually didn’t. My parts work must be working, because instead of getting in my head, I just heard what he said. And I agreed.

“That’s actually a great point!” 

It was time to enhance our coffee bar for the season.

“We need something a bit more refreshing for the hot, summer mornings. We need iced coffee!”

It’s not that iced coffee is new to us—we’ve poured coffee over ice plenty of times, or tossed leftover espresso into a glass with milk. But this time, I wanted to do it right. I wanted the coffee to feel crisp and just as intentional, as our usual lattes do in the colder months.

And maybe most importantly—I wanted to enjoy it in a fun glass.

One of the best parts of building our home coffee bar has been the mugs and the ritual. Having a little café experience at home helped me transition from always grabbing coffee out. So this summer, I leaned into that again—with iced coffee in mind.

Here’s what I added to our summer setup:

• French Press (for overnight cold brew) – $20
• New Ice Tray (our old one finally cracked) – $5
• Fun Coffee Glasses – $22
• Reusable Straws – $6
• Coffee Beans – $16
• Chai Concentrate (because some mornings need a little spice) – $6

Total cost: $75
Home iced coffee bar? Priceless.

However you take your coffee—iced, hot, sweet, or straight—I’m grateful to share a cup with you today.

Until next week, take care and stay cool,

Everett