Fall-flavored flights add festive twist to coffee in St. Petersburg
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - After opening a coffee shop in 2006 in Washington, Seattle-native Stacha Madsen opened The Blend Coffee & Wine in St. Petersburg just before the pandemic and now has three locations.
Her specialty is creating new flavors and while pumpkin is back, she adds a twist to the traditional fall treat.
"I created flight boards," she explained. "I was waiting to do mimosa flights, but it was taking a while to get my 2COP license so I thought I might as well do coffee flights and it’ll be fun!"
The Blend now offers coffee flights in both seasonal and original flavors, allowing customers to taste them all without breaking the bank. Photos of flights posted on social media by customers helped the concept take off.
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"You get to try little samples of all of them, but it’s not just trying the coffee is what I’m realizing, as the flights are starting to take over and it’s an experience," Madsen added.
The seasonal flavors that are part of the flight lists include a cold brew with a pumpkin cold foam, pumpkin, peach cobbler and caramel pecan.
"They add their little flare. They have different espresso and flavorings and it’s not your typical Starbucks drink," said customer Mallory Meyers.
Madsen’s newest location now offers drive-thru service. It's located at 2760 34th Street North, in St. Petersburg.
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