Honeymoon Espresso in North Carolina

Honeymoon Espresso in North Carolina

We stayed at a great little Airbnb outside of Asheville the second night. We woke up hungry.

First things first – find the coffee.

We had institutional coffee with breakfast. You know the kind. It’s made using stale pre-portioned packages and the glass coffee pot sits unattended on the warmer for 30 minutes before they serve you.

That was a disappointment because it looked like a cool place when we pulled up. The coffee didn’t match the ambiance; neither did the service.

Strike one for coffee.

We tried two more coffee shops before heading out for the day. At the first location the espresso was atrocious, we actually threw it out. Strike two for coffee.

The second served decent espresso and the people were nice. But at that point the morning start was kind of marred with a really poor coffee experience. Chalk it up to “one of those mornings”. Hit the refresh button, we’re exploring today.

Catawba Falls

We headed east to our first destination: Catawba Falls. Regarding travel, my wife has a magical sixth sense about discovery. She is the consummate master at finding the best places to visit.

Catawba Falls was no exception. We hiked and thoroughly enjoyed the experience for several hours. When we got back in the car, it was time for more exploring and refreshments.

We ended up in Black Mountain.

Dripolator Coffeehouse

As we toured on foot, we weren’t even thinking about coffee. But that changed immediately on Main St, when we found an unexpected surprise in this town of 7000 people: Dripolator Coffeehouse.

It is comfortable. The staff is friendly and it’s clean. The display is laid out in a way that makes you want to try one of everything. They serve fresh baked goods that taste like Grandma made them and really good coffee.

The ambiance works. It’s a cross between a beautifully renovated farmhouse kitchen and a really comfortable living room.

The layout and design give you a choice. You can interact socially or you can savor your privacy over a delicious cup of coffee. You feel pampered with a sense of privacy. It’s a quality shop.

Dripolator turned a crummy coffee day into a mini-celebration. A honeymoon flavor party.

Excellent Espresso

We loved the espresso. The crema was rich and creamy with a lingering, delicious aftertaste. We definitely went back for seconds.

A First for Us

A first for us was getting a shot of Perrier with each espresso to cleanse the palate. It’s a nice touch and they are great complements.

The Lattes…

To see how they make them – plus we were kind of maxed out on straight shots – we also ordered a couple lattes . We sipped them as we ate the baked goods.

The lattes had a good flavor and the house blend espresso tasted good in milk. The milk texturing left a bit to be desired but it was made with love and care. Our host was charming and made every effort to make our visit a pleasant one.

Overall the coffee was A1.

Neither of us have any reservations about offering a whole hearted recommendation. If this place were close to home, we would have espresso every morning.

Dripolator: Our Honeymoon Espresso in North Carolina.