Philz is easily one of my favorite coffee shops. I’ll go way out of my way if I’m even close to a Philz and gladly stand in the long lines to score one of my favorite sweet and creamy iced coffees.
This past weekend, I went out of town with my cousin and we were able to stop at a Philz on the way there and the way back. It was a true highlight to the road trip and I snapped some pics of the drinks to share with you today!
If you’re new to Philz Coffee, let me tell you a little bit about this cult favorite coffee house you won’t want to miss.
What makes Philz Coffee different?
Philz works a little differently than other coffee shops. They customize each drink to your taste using their own lingo. Plus, they only use coffee as a base, no espresso machines in sight. They use a pour over method to brew just the right amount for your order. So here’s what you can expect:
Wait in line until a barista is open and calls you over. Order your drink and then walk over the line to pay. Order any food you’d like and pay for everything. Go to the waiting area or bench and your barista will flag you when your drink is ready. In some stores, you are paying before you order now, which works, too. You’ll see when you walk in which way the line is going.
Philz Mint Mojito:
Could this be the most famous Philz drink of all time? It could be. If you love mint, you are going to love this iced coffee with fresh mint leaves. Yup, no mint syrup in site, it’s all fresh, muddled mint.
I don’t usually go for mint coffees, but I love this one. Sometimes they float the mint and other times they’ll muddle it at the bottom. Personally, I prefer floating, because I don’t like to get pieces of mint when I’m drinking – but to each their own. Even my cousin, who doesn’t like mint in coffee at all had to admit that this is delicious.
So, what’s in the infamous iced coffee drink at Philz? Let’s break it down:
- Fresh muddled mint – Yup, they take mint leaves and use a muddler to crush them – not mint syrup here. You can also muddle your mint leaves with the sugar that you use. Start with 2-3 sprigs and see how it tastes. You can always add more/less.
- Brown Sugar/Sweetener – If you don’t specify what kind of sweetener, Philz will use brown sugar.
- Fresh Brewed Coffee – No espresso at Philz, so brew your coffee fresh. Philz brews coffee for each coffee individually for super fresh coffee. That means they grind the beans and then use a pour over to make hot coffee that is then iced.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – If you don’t specify a certain kind of milk/cream, Philz uses just regular heavy whipping cream and that’s how they get that gorgeous froth on top. It’s delicious, so get it the way they make it if at all possible.
- Ice – If you’re ordering it iced, your drink will be iced after it is freshly brewed. You won’t be getting coffee that has been brewed and put in a fridge or cold brew coffee.
- Shaker – To get the coffee cold and get that gorgeous foam on top, add all ingredients to a shaker and give it a good shake before pouring it into a glass.
What other drinks does Philz have?
Here’s a great menu, courtesy of Philz, with their other drinks. If you’re lucky enough to be near a Philz, don’t hesitate to order two – trust. me – they’re that good!
To learn more about some of our favorite Philz drinks, such as the Iced coffee Rose, Ecstatic Iced Coffee and Mocha Tesora, check out this post.
HOW TO CUSTOMIZE DRINKS AT PHILZ COFFEE:
Now, on to how to customize your drink so it’s perfect for you. You’ll need to know the lingo.
1. First, you can customize your “cream” and “sweet”.
Cream options include cream, milk, vanilla soy milk, oat milk and almond milk.
Sweetener options include honey, sugar and artificial sweeteners.
2. When you ask for your cream or sweetener (or both), you have four different levels: light, medium, regular or extra.
So, you might order like this, “I’d like an Ecstatic Iced Coffee Sweet and Creamy”. This means you’d like the regular cream and sugar and regular amount of both cream and sugar.
If you’d like to customize further you could say, “I’d like a mint mojito, light cream and sugar with almond milk and honey.”
3. If you don’t specify what type of cream or sugar, they’ll default to the regular cream and sugar.
ORDERING SHORTCUTS:
- Straight Up – You want your drink without any cream or sugar.
- Philz Way – You want medium cream and medium sugar. If you’re new to Philz, this is a good place to start.
- Sweet and Creamy – If you don’t want to mess with types of cream and sugar, just start here.
I always order my drinks sweet and creamy. I happen to be somewhat dairy intolerant, but there’s isn’t so much cream that it sets me off. It’s such a rare treat for me to go to Philz, I like to stick to my favorites.
Make a Philz Mint Mojito at Home:
Want to whip up your own Mint Mojito at home?
- Start by making a pour over coffee using Philz beans.
- Muddle your fresh mint with sweetener of choice
- Add ice, coffee, the mint and sugar mixture, and your choice of creamer to a shaker
- Shake, shake, shake
- Pour over ice in your coffee tumbler
- Drink and enjoy!
For even more details, check out this recipe here.
More Philz Tips:
Want to make Philz at home? You’ll want to read our post with the best Philz coffee blends to buy at a store near you and brew at home! Check out that post here.
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Thanks for reading. Come back soon for more coffee house and coffee drink tips.
Get roasted,
A
