beans: pekoe

I realize it’s about time for a “suds” blog. One is coming soon, as the sidekicks and I plan to head out on Friday evening for a little happy hour action. But it is “national coffee day” after all, so I’d be remiss if I didn’t give you the lowdown on a place to get some today….or tomorrow if like me you need to carefully monitor your afternoon caffeine intake.

Pekoe Sip House, whose slogan is “sip. relax. enjoy.” I love it already, Pekoe.

Don’t mind if I do. I’ll let Pekoe explain the philosophy in their own words, which will undoubtedly be more eloquent than if I tried to do it myself.

Sip is a metaphor for the less hectic. We encourage people to sip, to create quality time. Time to catch up, not on the “to-do” list, but on the important things that are not on the “to-do” list. Because too seldom do we enjoy these activities.

I don’t know about you, but I am ALWAYS up for something that gives me an excuse to blow off the sisyphusian “to do” list, even for an hour.  Ok, I don’t know if “sisyphusian” is a word, but I use it here to explain the feeling I sometimes get when faced with my never-ending list of chores. You know Sisyphus, the guy with the boulder. No, not the guy from Boulder.

Relax.  Often it is the little things that enrich our lives. We fulfill people’s need for enrichment with our tea, food, and social experience. Our service enables people to blossom and, best of all, it’s not a retreat to a yoga spa, it’s part of their everyday experience.

They do have yummy food offerings, including the Noosa. No need to elaborate here, and if you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’ll refer you to the “Ozo” review. I needn’t bore my regular readers….all of whom are awesome….by reiterating my feelings about Noosa.

Enjoy.  We enable people to explore the rich world of tea: its wide selection and its plethora of flavor. Sweet, spicy, or smooth, tea is an indulgence. Enjoying tea is a special treat, a simple splurge from the everyday.

They have a LOT of tea at Pekoe, more on that later.  Fret not, coffee drinkers, they’ve got you covered as well!

There are three Pekoes in Boulder, one by Ideal on Broadway and one in the Steelyards on 30th..there’s also one on the CU campus, but I haven’t been. The one on Broadway is bigger than the one at the Steelyards and (I think) a better place to hang. Plus when I’m done sipping, relaxing and enjoying, I can make my daily trek to the grocery store without having to move the car. Ideal is a couple of doors down. That said, I have spent a lot more time at the one on 30th because of its proximity the gym I went to for years, which made it a convenient spot for a little caffeine before or after a workout.

(Both Pekoes have outdoor seating as well)

The people who work at both Pekoe locations are really friendly and also happy to help you with your beverage choice. They have a lot of teas to choose from. I kid you not.

(The wall of tea canisters behind the counter. Some of the tea canisters. They have many varieties of green, black, rooibos, white, mate, herbal and oolong for your sipping enjoyment)

And you can take your favorites home with you.

Pekoe has coffee and espresso drinks galore and really creative and delicious concoctions you won’t find elsewhere.  They have “bubble tea” drinks, which are supposed to have great health benefits….if you can get past the slimy tapioca pearls. (I can’t, but my hilarious friend Jo can, and we had a lot of juvenile laughs over the tapioca balls).  Pekoe has a variety of iced teas…blue eyes is my fave…it’s an organic green iced tea with pineapple and papaya flavors…delicious! They make Pekoe “signature drinks” like mocha and latte made with black tea instead of espresso, and other “wellness” drinks and “frozen indulgences” which I have not yet tried. Pekoe also has four different kinds of chai (house, mate, spicy green and rooibos) if that’s your thing.

You could spend weeks just working your way through this menu, which can be found on their website. If you’re headed to Pekoe after a workout, which I often do, I recommend the “Casablanca”…..a delicious, refreshing and hydrating drink of coconut water and mint tea. This is making me thirsty for Pekoe.

And as I mentioned earlier in the post, the employees at both locations are really friendly. When last I stopped in for an icy “Casablanca,” the barista was putting the finishing touches on my drink and asked “Whatcha got going on today?” I replied “Really?” To which he responded “Yeah, what’s up?” I told him, he listened. And when I was done he said “Sounds like a great day. And I love your boots.” And I love you right back, Pekoe guy.

Which brings us to the place in the blog where you get caught up on whatever else I feel like talking about, unrelated though it is to coffee or adult beverage.

War and Peace. Damn you, Leo Tolstoy, for your verbosity!!

I started reading this weighty tome a year ago and my goal was to finish it within 12 months. In order to avoid failure, I’d have to read nearly 300 pages before the end of tomorrow. That’s not going to happen. I am so close, but yet so far….

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great read. It’s a slog, but it’s worth it. I’ll let you know WHEN I finish.

Maybe I should rethink my current strategy, though….I typically leg into the book at night, after I’m exhausted by the day. I read it on my ipad, while in the supine position in my very comfortable bed, listening to the the “New Age Beats” station on Pandora.  Sleep comes quickly, and it’s a challenge to get through a book like this if you do it three pages at a time.

New logo, courtesy of my girl Chris…what do you think? I love it! I’m going to use it until I get a “cease and desist order” from it’s creator.

• Boulder
• coffee
• coffee shops
• drinks