Chinatown Coffee Co. to Get Its Drink On

Chinatown Coffee Co. has decided stimulants aren't enough. It's getting into the depressants game, too. Co-owner Max Brown says the coffee shop has applied for a liquor license with the hopes of pouring beer, wine, and absinthe within two months or so.

Brown is clearly jazzed about the planned absinthe bar, which will prepare each drink in the manner befitting the once demonized alcohol. You know, sugar cube, slotted spoon, water-dripping slowly into the glass, releasing all those trapped aromatics and flavors. "The preparation is really good theatre," Brown e-mails Y&H this morning.

Along with the absinthe, Chinatown Coffee Co. plans to serve wine, microbrews, and some speciality java drinks. Brown, the son and grandson of tavern owners, has put together a general outline of CCC's beer/wine/absinthe program, along with GM Alex Mason, co-owner Katie Brown, and Chief Operating Officer Mike Heslin. The team is in the process of hiring someone to run the program.

So, will this lead to some food options at Chinatown Coffee, too? (Well, beyond the pastries and cupcakes?)

"I can see offering some food/snacks along the way perhaps to complement the alcohol, but right now we want to roll out a first rate liquor program," Brown writes. The owners are also contemplating staying open later, particularly on the weekends.

If that's not enough to keep the new entrepreneurs busy, the Browns are scouting locations for a second shop, too.