Atlanta is home to some of the most absolutely delicious flavor experiences to be had anywhere in America, from bars to barbecue to fine dining and beyond. The coffee scene is, of course, second to none, and this week for On The Menu we’re visiting local favorite Chrome Yellow Trading Co. in the Old Fourth Ward to learn more about their Whiskey Caramel Latte—plus a host of other delicious signature drinks.
Your cafe has been open since 2015! In that time, a lot of drinks have come out the door—what have been some of your favorite signature drinks?
We’ve been at our location on Edgewood Ave in Atlanta for almost eight years now. We have introduced several signature drinks during this time—some of which we have not been able to remove from the menu due to the favor of our guests. We are particularly fond of the Grapefruit Coldbrew Soda, which we serve straight up in a Topo Chico bottle. It’s basically a fun coffee riff on a Paloma. Take a Topo Chico, pour a few ounces out, and then top it with Point Counter Point cold brew concentrate and house made grapefruit syrup. It’s delicious. We also make a London Fog concentrate in house from Rishi’s Earl Grey Lavender, orange zest, vanilla, and thyme. It makes a great latte, sure, but we’ve also been using it as a component in all sorts of drinks lately.
Tell us about the coffee you serve and sell at Chrome Yellow.
When we began in 2015, we were a Stumptown partner. Years later we became a multi-roaster featuring Methodical Coffee and many more roasters all around the country. We also worked directly with Methodical to develop our own label. Today, we roast our own coffee on a Loring S7 that sits in the back space adjacent to the cafe. It is a beautiful roasting space with plenty of natural light and we enjoy working while the coffee shop hums with discourse and the sounds of coffee brewing. We roast and serve coffee from a number of coffee producing countries but find a particular affinity for Colombian coffee. We feel like you can taste the entire world in a cup from Colombia depending on variety, process, or region. And we particularly love the coffees we have purchased from Rodrigo Sanchez and Claudia Samboni of Aromas del Sur through Ally Importers. Their main lot washed Caturra often features in our blends and we’re always looking forward to whatever wild and crazy micro-lots they’re harvesting next.
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Apart from coffee, what other products does Chrome Yellow specialize in?
Owner and co-founder Kyle Taylor has a keen interest in design and apparel. And you can see his passion all over our merchandise. Over the years we have done several collaborations with brands we feel share a similar interest and attention to detail: Ebbets Field, Oxford Pennant, Topo Designs, 3sixteen, Appointed… the list is long and fruitful. To put it simply: we carry and stock whatever it is we want to wear or use at the time. CY branded apparel, candles, brewing equipment, and stationary items.
We were drawn to your whiskey caramel latte. Can you tell us more about this drink?
The whiskey caramel latte is exactly what it sounds like (minus the alcohol). We take a double shot of Huxley or Point Counter Point, 8-10oz of steamed milk, and add it to a house made whiskey caramel sauce. That’s the fun part. We make a base caramel from scratch and then add a whiskey reduction and a whole bunch of heavy cream. When it’s all said and done, it makes for a truly decadent and complex coffee beverage.
Where else can we find your coffee?
We only recently began roasting in our own space and accepting wholesale partners! So this is a brand new endeavor for us in 2023. However, we would like to shout out a few of our local partners drinking our coffee while they do amazing, creative work in their own spaces: Staplehouse, The Commodore, Tuesday Coffee + Shoppe, Maze Studios, and Straight To Tell. For locals, they can get our coffee delivered straight to their doorstep every week through The Rounds sustainable delivery service.
What’s next for Chrome Yellow Trading Co. in 2023?
Chrome Yellow Coffee is ready to grow more outside of its walls in 2023! We have had such an amazing run since 2015 as a cafe within this space that we fully intend to continue to nurture and excel within. But we also look forward to bringing more of what we do to other cafe partners, creative spaces, and homes. We are excited for the growth this will bring within our own team and for the myriad ways we can collaborate to build stronger collaborations with likeminded people.
Thank you!
Photos by Haley James.
On The Menu is proudly presented by Oatly. Check out more signature drinks in our On The Menu archive.
