Taste: Coffee Culture: In Search Of … Hot Drinks

With the impending Snowstorms of the Century, we sent our scouts out to cafés in search of this winter’s hottest drinks.

With the (no doubt) impending and numerous Snowstorms of the Century, we sent our scouts out to dozens of cafés from Bucks to Gloucester County in search of this winter’s hottest drinks.

Caramel Cream Dream: The “Dream” at Old City’s Double Shots may keep you up: steamed milk, pure vanilla extract, caramel, and two shots of espresso. 211 Chestnut Street, 215-351-5171, doubleshotscafe.com.

White Hot Chocolate: White chocolate may not technically be chocolate, but the Gryphon Café’s piping-hot version is as warm and comforting as the original. 105 West Lancaster Avenue, Wayne, 610-688-1988, gryphoncafe.com.

Mexican Hot Chocolate: Spice things up at E’s Passyunk in South Philly, where the hot chocolate is thick, rich and cinnamon-spiked. 1500 East Passyunk Avenue, 215-755-2790.

The Flat White: A Down Under speciality at Ants Pants Café in Graduate Hospital: Australian-roasted Belaroma espresso with steamed milk. Ants Pants Café, 2212 South Street, 215-875-8002, antspantscafe.com.

Caramel Apple Cider: Burlap and Bean pairs steamed Zeigler’s cider, made in Lansdale, with gooey caramel syrup. Don’t skip the whipped cream. 204 South Newton Street Road, Newton Square, 484-427-4547, burlapandbean.com.

French Press: Pick one of Mugshots’ bold fair-trade brews and plunge it with our favorite coffee-making gadget. 2100 Fairmount Avenue, 267-514-7145; 110 Cotton Street, Manayunk, 215-482-3964; mugshotscoffeehouse.com.

Sweet Dreams: Lambertville Trading Company’s simple — and caffeine-free — concoction combines steamed Lancaster County milk with premium vanilla syrup. 43 Bridge Street, Lambertville, 609-397-2232, lambertvilletrading.com.

Fresh Lemon Ginger Tea: Lots of places make lemon-ginger tea from a bag, but Northern Liberties’ Soy Café steeps black tea with freshly juiced ginger root and lemon. 630 North 2nd Street, 215-922-1003.

Benna Cap: This cappuccino spin-off at South Philly’s Benna’s Caf is made with condensed milk and served in our favorite beverage conveyance: the pint glass. 1236 South Street, 215-334-1502, bennascafe.com.