The Curious Case of Summermoon Coffee

In another life I must have been a private eye.


A real gumshoe, you know.


I'm not sure what sets me off, but every time I happen upon a fishy story I spiral out of control searching for leading clues, interrogating innocent bystanders and humming ominous background music.


Maybe its the thrill of the chase that fuels my curiosity, or maybe its the odd comfort I take in knowing that something in the world is yet to be discovered.

Or maybe it's because I'm a sucker for guys in orange ascots.
photo courtesy of cartoonnetwork.co.uk

Either way when I found myself in a daze sipping on a latte at Summermoon Wood Fired Coffee, I knew there was a mystery to be solved. 


From the moment I stepped inside this modest coffee shop off of South 1st, I felt as thought I had been let in on a great Austin secret.


It's likely you drive right past this establishment often without even knowing. Residing in a plaza that also houses a salon and a physical fitness center, it's not a typical spot for a cafe.


After opening the door I felt a quick push of warm air against my face; I looked around and heard a mix of spirited conversations between friends and saw people hunched over laptops furiously typing what might just be the next great American novel.


The people here are regulars. Some park just to run in, grab their usual and head out to whatever the day brings them.


I asked the barista to give me what Summermoon does best. Without hesitation he told me the best drink is named after the shop itself: the Summermoon latte.


He explained that the Summermoon latte is a mix between their house espresso and an unique, sweet Summermoon milk. Talk about vertical integration...


I opted for the half as sweet one, appropriately named the half Summermoon.


As he gingerly prepared my drink I asked him about the shop owned by his father-in-law. Apparently Summermoon has the only wood-fired coffee in Austin. What's more is that they roast their own coffee too.

Summermoon's personal wood fired oven
photo courtesy of woodfiredcoffee.

That's right, Summermoon has been roasting its coffee beans in its personal wood-fired oven for over seven years now. What does this mean?


Not only is Summermoon local, but its unique. There are about three major roasters in Austin that coffee shops in the area get their beans from, and all of these roasters use a gas oven.












Wood-fired is not necessarily better than gas roasting, it's just different. My barista describes its as "smoother." I feel good drinking these beans because it feels more natural.




Now there are two mysteries to Summermoon Coffee.


The first mystery is that of the Summermoon latte; I don't know what it is! The latte is sweet and at the risk of puzzling you all, custard-y. I watched my drink being crafted and I saw everything that went into it. As promised, the half Summermoon latte is a careful blend of skim milk, Summermoon espresso and Summermoon sweet milk- that's it.


But the taste is much more complex. As I mentioned above, there is some sort of custard hint to it- a sort of thick, easy vanilla flavor. I would know if there was sweetened condensed milk in it because of its characteristic heaviness, and because of its mysterious ability to tighten my waistband; but although it is a dense drink, it is not heavy.


The Summermoon latte is of a natural frothy consistency. It sips creamy and cool and effortlessly masks the assumed bitterness that follows a latte with four shots of espresso. After I indulged my coffee for almost two hours, I feel full and alert- but not jittery.


I also felt sad; very, very sad.

the latte can't ALL be gone?!
photo courtesy of findairfreight.com

The second mystery of Summermoon to be solved is its popularity. With a homegrown philosophy and bewitching brews, people should be lining out the door to get a taste.


This is not to say Summermoon does not have a steady flow of customers, but I am surprised that the small coffee bar isn't brimming with eager caffeine addicts searching for outlets.


Sure, there are numerous positive reviews on yelp.com about this place, but why are yelp users the only people talking about it? Why haven't I been here before?


Why aren't you there now?


The space isn't big, so don't bring your entire social circle expecting a place to sit- keep Summermoon for your inner circle of friends.

Summermoon
photo courtesy of austinrealestatehomesblog.com

While the front patio is nothing to ride home about (its pretty small with bare, mismatched seating), the inside is quaint with eclectic chairs and tables and colorful lanterns dangling from the ceiling.


Stop by Summermoon right now. And tell your friends about this well kept secret.


As for the unsolved mysteries? The only reason I can think of why this place isn't packed full of yuppies is simply due to its hidden storefront and odd location.


And the Summermoon latte's curious sweetness? Summermoon sweet milk is magical. That's all there is to it. I challenge the world's most expert chemists to find another solution.






Summermoon is sensational. Case closed.


Coffee drinkers: try their espresso straight up. My guess is that it is fabulous.


Non-coffee drinkers: the full Summermoon Latte. Sweet, with a hidden jolt.




Location:
3115 S. 1st st.
Austin, TX, 78704
512.804.1665


Hours:
Mon-Fri: 7 a.m. - 12 a.m.
Sat: 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sun: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m.