Caffeinated in Kingston

By Wendy Tweten

When it comes to coffee, Kingstonâ€™s cup runneth over. Weâ€™re awash in espresso. Weâ€™re a paragon of perkiness. Weâ€™re the coffee capital of Kitsap County.

Consider the following: The three-mile stretch of Highway 104 from the ferry dock to Kountry Korner offers no less than 10 espresso sellers. Not enough for you? At Streibelâ€™s you can pick up a final cup to see you through the long, barista-free drive to Poulsbo. Not headed to Poulsbo? No worries â€“ Indianola, Little Boston, Hansville and Port Gamble have all joined the espresso age.

As it turns out, local java joints are as different to each other as plain decaf is to a triple-shot latte. Kingstonâ€™s coffee culture ranges from intimate cafÃ©s to drive-thrus to coffee bars. With a bit of exploring youâ€™ll find venues that offer in-house roasted beans, fresh-made pastries, breakfast or lunch service, outdoor seating, live music, or the trendiest of designer beans. Whatever it is you demand of your brew-buying experience, chances are Kingston has it.

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Surprisingly, Kitsap communities are conspicuous for the concoctions they crave. According to Mary Richards, who has been selling espresso drinks at special events throughout the county for 16 years, Bainbridge goes for non-fat lattes, Poulsbo is partial to two-percent mochas, Port Townsend sticks to Americanos and Bremerton throws caution to the wind with 20-ounce mochas with whip. Attendees of Port Gambleâ€™s Medieval Faire choose a most unlikely Middle Ages beverage, a quad mocha with whip.

Coming from such a hotbed of hot beverages, itâ€™s a little disconcerting for the Northwesterner to travel to other parts of the country and find that, come time for a little pick-me-up, one has to actually search for coffee! How different from life in a town where, should your car swerve off the road on that last mile to the ferry, itâ€™s practically guaranteed your progress will be cut short by a coffee shop quicker than you can hang up your cell phone.

So, whether youâ€™re looking for a double-grande, extra shot, one-pump hazelnut, no-whip, non-fat soy mocha â€“ or simply a good old-fashioned cup of joe, Kingston will make your dreams come true; provided, of course, that you ever sleep.