Carmel Celebration of All Things Caffeine

Writer / Janelle Morrison Residents and visitors of Carmel can enjoy a myriad of amenities, services and sources of entertainment that the city provides throughout the year. The city’s also known for its accessibility to numerous parks and trails that attract residents and visitors alike. This upcoming January, Carmel will add a new type of trail to its offerings of “things to do,” a Caffeine Trail. This new attraction is geared to engage tea and coffee aficionados and any one who enjoys the simple joys in life such as a brilliant cup of single-origin coffee or a spot of custom-blended loose leaf tea. “We know that tourists enjoy the challenge of finding a good place to eat while visiting a city,” said Dan McFeely, a consultant to Carmel’s Department of Economic Development. “The most recent trends also seem to be centered on good things to drink, whether that be good wines, craft beers or specialty coffee and tea shops. That is why we have developed the Carmel Caffeine Trail to assist those visitors who are looking for that quaint café with small-batch, independently roasted beans made fresh and by the cup. Places where you can sip on a variety of tea flavors and styles.” The Carmel Caffeine Trail will be officially launched in January at the Second Saturday Gallery Walk in the Carmel Arts and Design District. At that event, the Carmel Caffeine Trail organizers plan to invite participating coffee and tea shops to partner with businesses in the District to provide samples of their coffees, teas, hot chocolate and treats to the Gallery Walk crowds. “The Carmel Caffeine Trail is the city’s way to extend its support of the Arts to the ‘Culinary Art’ of brewing good coffee and tea,” McFeely explained. “We are celebrating the many fine shops in the city that take their beans and tea leaves seriously. “We anticipate roughly a dozen local cafés and restaurants will participate and be included on the Trail, and we plan to produce a Trail map and other materials to help visitors know where to get a great cup of coffee and tea when they visit Carmel. “We also want fans of good coffee and tea to be able to take something back home once they visit a few of our shops. We have developed an official Carmel Caffeine Trail logo and will be exploring ways to put that logo on coffee cups and other souvenir items that would be available in those participating locations.” Local favorites such as SoHo Cafe and Gallery, Eggshell Bistro, Hubbard and Cravens and Zing are just a few businesses located in the Arts and Design District and at Carmel City Center that will be included on the Carmel Caffeine Trail. Be sure to stay tuned and follow the Carmel Magazine’s event calendar for the list of participating businesses and other event details as the launch date approaches.