Local Spotlight: Columbia Brew’s Valentine’s menu brings a new take on traditional coffee shop drinks

It’s a Wednesday afternoon, and I inevitably find myself trekking to my 5th hour AP Statistics class with a seemingly 500-pound backpack and even more homework to complete that night. Things truly couldn’t get more bleak. That is, until I see the gleaming sign of Columbia Brew, and the irresistible promise of a new Valentine's Day menu.

So to cure my 5th hour slump, I stopped by the coffee shop to try out three drinks: the Love Potion, Be My Honey and Cherry Crush. Each beverage brought a new take on traditional coffee shop offerings and motivated me through my mundane school day.

The first drink I tried was the Love Potion. The chalkboard menu described the drink as a lemonade base with mango and dragonfruit syrup and pink glitter sprinkled on top. I practically channeled my inner Glinda and glimmered with sparkles as I walked into my class with the drink in hand. 

The lemonade base of the Love Potion made the drink a refreshing start to the day, and the syrups added a pleasant, sweet tinge that counterbalanced the lemon’s sourness. And, to top it off, each drink came with a plastic straw shaped like a heart. What’s more Valentine’s Day than that?

Next, I proudly ordered the Be My Honey chai. The drink came with vanilla and honey syrup along with cold foam, making my Starbucks dreams come true. By far, my favorite part of indulging in the seasonal Starbucks chai is the pumpkin spice cold foam, and having an option similar to this right within the borders of 7500 Mission Road is perfect. 

Although the syrups collected at the bottom of the drink when I was only halfway done, that’s only to be expected of any beverage with syrup, and I didn’t let it ruin the carefully curated pumpkin spice flavor that I’ve come to love in chai. 

Finally, I added the Cherry Crush lemonade to my order as the strawberry popping boba caught my attention on the menu. The only way to describe this beverage is lemonade with an unexpected twist. I had too much fun eating the boba during class and savoring the cherry syrup in the drink that tasted like maraschino cherries. 

And although I’m not a coffee person, if the coffee-based drinks were anything like these refreshers, I would easily recommend them. So, for a grand total of $9.50, or an average of $3.20 each, these Valentine’s Day beverages are a must-have for any Lancer.