Third wave coffee shops are slowly growing in the Philippine market. Over the years, Filipino people are starting to appreciate third wave coffees because they are different from the typical coffees we get in Starbucks and Coffee Bean. They are able to create this quality taste which makes Filipinos crave for.
In the past, coffee selection was simple. People would usually base it on a 3-in-1 sachet, plain black coffee or to put some cream and sugar in it. In its present time, you can expect a lot of people order different kinds of coffee drinks. Due to these different drinks, you can expect to recall what the other names are of these coffee drinks.
Before I go on, let me ask you a question. Do you have any idea what third wave coffee is? Based on my research, third wave coffee is more of a way to appreciate quality coffee. They use different kinds of beans and has their own brewing process to bring out the rich flavor of the coffee. Instead of calling the people working in third wave coffee shops “baristas”, a proper term is “ artisanal bartenders”. They are the reason why we get to taste quality, handcrafted coffees.
I have always been curious about third wave coffee shops in the Philippines. I get to hear about them but never got the chance to visit one because majority of third wave coffee shops can be found in Makati. As you all know, the traffic going to Makati from Quezon City is unbearable. Good thing I was able to discover this 3rd wave coffee shop within the area. This is no other than Firefly Coffee.
Firefly Coffee is own by Aldrich Shih, a fellow La Sallian. Before he could actually put up a coffee business, he had to take lessons on how to create quality craft coffee. From what started out as a simple stall in DLSU, it now has an actual store you can visit to. Firefly Coffee is located in Sto. Domingo, near a few schools which makes it a good location.
When you actually pass by the area, the first thing you will get to think of is how his business will grow. It’s a quiet and secluded area (try to remember pre-Maginhawa St.) which makes it quite hard for his business to get known to other people. But you will get surprised that Firefly is actually having good sales. It’s a mixture of students and working adults that can afford Firefly Coffee.
Upon arriving the coffee shop, you will notice how minimalist the place is. That is what Aldrich wants to convey with his coffee shop. His interior designer got inspirations from Japanese designs – something simple and pleasing to the eyes. You will also notice that Firefly’s logo is simple. Shih got the inspiration through a famous NBA team, Charlotte Hornets. He also decided to put up a bar area where customers can have a sit while enjoying their cup of coffee and interacting with the bartenders.
Since August 2017, Firefly has been able to incorporate different beverage and food choices. To start off, affogato is their best seller. If you are not familiar what affogato is, it is a coffee-based dessert. It includes a scoop of ice cream with a shot of espresso. Firefly’s kind of ice cream is homemade. For the first order, they let me try their Cookie Butter Affogato. It consists of cookie butter ice cream that has this rich flavor to it and their espresso known as 2401 (DLSU’s address). To make their affogato different, they placed banana lacatan underneath the ice cream to balance the flavors.
Another kind of affogato that they made me try is their B-52. It consists of housemade Triple Sec + Irish Cream with orange zests and their 2401 espresso. I highly suggest ordering this affogato if you want something strong.
For their espressos, Shih made me try their Dirty White (150php) and Latte (145php). Their Dirty White consists of ristretto over iced milk. Their Dirty White is a perfect drink for those people who came from the scorching heat and just wants to feel refreshed. Their Latte, on the other hand, has the right balance to it. It is not too strong, which I highly recommend.
For their Craft Tea, I was able to try their Dirty White V2 (150php). I am a big fan of craft teas and I highly recommend their Dirty White V2. This drink is perfect for non-coffee drinkers. It consists of 24-hr cold brewed Earl Grey tea with shaken iced milk.
Aside from espressos and craft teas, they also have different selections of craft juice sodas, milkshakes, handmade coffee and food.
With the selection of food and drinks they have, you can expect that Firefly Coffee will get known in the industry. You can trust Aldrich and his team to whip you up with quality drinks which will make you see third wave coffee in a different light.
*This is a sponsored post.
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