There is no better way to warm up your insides this winter than with a warm, fresh brew.  Coffee has become all the rage, but I assure you that it is not a passing fad.  More and more coffee shops are popping up throughout the five boroughs, giving connoisseurs a chance to indulge in the art of coffee making.   And that is exactly what these shops provide: art.  Here at Snowman, we love craftsmanship.  We are going to share some NYC coffee spots that take pride in their craft (and trust me, your taste buds will notice!).  Some of these spots are family-owned hole-in-the-walls, others have several locations.  But they all bring one thing to the table: incredible coffee.

A select few of these cozy brew haunts even let you in on the artistic process.  We love the ins and outs of artistic processes at SNOWMAN.   So we love the fact that roasteries and interactive tours are becoming more common.  For example, Café Grumpy, with three different locations scattered through Greenpoint, Park Slope, Chelsea, the Garment District and the Lower East Side, houses roasteries at several locations.  You can gain new insight into the coffee roasting process while enjoying incredible products.  But don’t leave without some fresh baked goods.  This NYC mini-chain is also known for its bakeries.  The Roasting Plant, as the name implies, is another spot on the LES that takes customers on interactive tours.  They emphasize the process and the sourcing crucial to every fresh cup.  Crop to Cup, a coffee house in the emerging Brooklyn neighborhood of Gowanus, similarly emphasizes the importance of traceable coffee.  They keep their menu plain and simple; it is all about the coffee.  Stumptown Coffee Roasters also is all about the coffee.  They have locations outside in cities such as LA, but two main locations in NYC, Midtown South and West Village.  While connecting customers to the coffee-making process, they make the experience quirky and cool. For example, check out their Stumptown cold brew.  You may mistake it for another type of fresh brew.  These cold coffees are bottled in small beer-like containers, which go down oh so smoothly. 

Maybe you aren’t looking to know everything about your coffee. As we know, sometimes the atmosphere is as important as the coffee itself.  Yes, its always great to understand the process and the sourcing, but sometimes we just need a cozy café, a place to regroup, relax, and savor our cup.  Perhaps your can curl up in your Snowman coat while sipping your coffee at a sidewalk table.  We do need fresh air all year long.  An old classic in the East Village, Mudspot, which reps a clearly hippie-inspired vibe, has been around for ages.  They serve wine and beer, have an accompanying Mud Truck that wanders around the city, and they sell fabulous merch with their “Mud” logo.  The Grey Dog has an equally cozy vibe.  With locations in SoHo and the West Village, this neighborhood-embracing company, was named  in honor of  the owners’ dogs.

So while SNOWMAN jackets keep you warm on the outside, follow our guide to keep you warm on the inside this winter.  Enjoy your brew, bundle up in your down outwear and be protected from the winter chill.

modeled by Nakayama Naoko