National Coffee Day - What's popular in South Lake Tahoe?

As if anyone needed a reason to drink coffee, September 29, 2015 is National Coffee Day. It even has it's own hashtag #NationalCoffeeDay.

Before Starbucks opened in March of 1971, the only real choices for a cup of coffee were black, or with cream and/or sugar.

Now coffee comes by drip, pressed or percolated. There are espressos (and not just one or a dozen, but many more choices), Turkish, and cold brews. You can get coffee over ice, blended, with a variety of flavors. Walking into a coffee shop with a list of varieties posted on their walls is like a kid walking into a candy store with their large glass fronts displaying the treats that beckon one from behind.

In a survey of South Lake Tahoe coffee shops, the most popular cups of java vary between location, even within the same company.

The most popular drinks at Tahoe Keys Cafe are the Mocha and Vanilla Lattes.

At Alpina Cafe, they sell a lot of lattes, mochas, and cold drip coffee. They also sell a lot of "plain black coffee."

Over at Rude Brothers, the Bohemian Blend is a very good seller, as are Caramel Crème Lattes and Almond Joy Lattes.

A Cup of Cherries says their White Salted Caramel Mocha is the top seller.

Even at the Starbucks in town the popular drinks vary. Of course, their Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL to frequent connoisseurs) is tops at all locations during the fall months, but after that the most popular drink varies. At the Y, they sell a lot of iced coffees while inside the Heavenly Village, that shop sells a lot of Anniversary Blend which is roasted just over the hill in Minden, NV. The White Chocolate Mocha is top on their list of drinks sold, while just a block away at the Starbucks by Raley's, Caramel Macchiatos are top after the PSL.