You can find hand tampers, steamer wands, and baristas who think they’re too cool for you at any Seattle cafe. But at Ghost Note, cocktail shakers are also part of their toolkit. There’s a lot of precision that goes into their caffeinated drinks—there’s even a cold espresso infused with smoked grapefruit rosemary syrup that’s served neat in a coupe. We’re big fans of the mocha shake that comes with chocolate shaken with espresso and toasty malt, complete with orange rind for zing. But the greatest concoction under their roof is the espresso float. It’s an iced latte cut with local root beer, vegan cream, and root beer bitters that has a great combination of stiff coffee and sarsaparilla spice, which then gets calmed down with a touch of creamy sweetness.

photo credit: Nate Watters