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Favorite toasty beverage
Best things
Best Things outside shot 0113
Sheri Cole stands outside Uncommon Grounds. - photo by Photo by Jen Alexander McCall
Nothing warms the body and soul on a cold day more than a hot cup of joe. At Uncommon Grounds, there are a few variations on the “average joe” – some include tea. Sheri Cole, the daughter-in-law of owner Jennifer Cole, does a little bit of everything at the downtown coffee spot. This week she serves up her five favorite hot drinks for the Coastal Courier.

• A house specialty: pure heaven: This mixed coffee drink is the motherlode of rich, decadent flavors, and it’s one of many custom drinks at the coffee shop. “It’s got white chocolate, cherry and English toffee. It has always been around,” Cole said.

• An old favorite: hot chocolate:
If you want something warm, sweet and uncomplicated, hot chocolate wins every time. “It’s always good,” she said.

• A gift from the East: chai tea: Chai tea sounds adventurous but has won over many plain-jane tea drinkers. “Everybody likes a hot chai,” Cole said. “It’s tea with steamed milk and water, and it has a spicy base. It’s different than regular tea.”

• A wake-up call: espresso, straight up:
Perfect for late-shifts and all-night study sessions, one shot rolls the eyelids up like window shades on a sunny morning. “Drink it for energy and to warm you,” she said.

• A taste of Italy: cappuccino:
Cappuccino has been many a young java drinker’s first foray into the world of coffee. It’s a simple recipe, equal parts espresso and hot milk, steamed into frothy goodness. “It’s mainly foam, so it’s more of a texture” that captures capp drinkers, Cole said.
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