The Drawing Room

By Angela Apel, owner of The Drawing Room Community Coffeehouse in Knox, PA

I never drank coffee until after I had my fourth child. At that point, we thought we were through having children, so it felt safer to try it—if I became a coffee addict, I wouldn’t have to quit during a pregnancy. There were a couple issues with this thinking. First, I found that, while the scent of coffee brought warmth and smiles, I didn’t particularly like the taste of it. Therefore, the coffee I chose to drink consisted of the whipped cream-dessert variety, or, even worse, the super-sweet gas station cappuccino. My favorite coffee was WaWa cappuccino when we lived in the south. Here in PA, it was, of course, Sheetz. I couldn’t stand drinking the coffee my husband brewed at home because it was too bitter.

The second issue was that, when my fourth child was five, I became pregnant with our fifth child, whose birth would be followed two years later with a sixth pregnancy. (Yes, we know how it works, and yes, we planned it that way!) Fortunately, however, I had not become a coffee addict. I was a sugar addict, yes—but that was nothing new.

It was only a few years ago that I discovered coffee can be amazing. My husband and I had just finished a delicious dinner at Zack’s in New Bethlehem, a celebration of my birthday, which falls just before Christmas. Zack was offering a Christmas cookie plate, which was kind of like a cookie flight of homemade goodness. Everything at Zack’s is top-notch, and I knew he had coffee. I’d read about people loving coffee black with something sweet, and I really wanted to know what good coffee tasted like so I would know if I actually liked it or not. If I did, maybe I could choose a healthier way to enjoy it. So I ordered a cookie plate and an espresso. I did not realize at the time how bold ordering an espresso was! But when I sipped that espresso after a bite of cookie, it was a revelation. It was amazing. The sweetness of the cookie set the stage for flavorful notes of the well-prepared espresso to dance. It was unlike any coffee experience I had ever had.

Sometimes strange things stick in our minds, and when remembered, all the feelings we felt then wash over us again. That memory was one of those times. As I remember my delight and the laughter and closeness felt with my husband that night, I’m reminded again that good coffee can be a joyful and soul-warming experience, a delightful comfort on a cold day, that it can be enjoyed in a healthy way, as a complement to elevate one’s dessert, rather than simply as a dessert on top of dessert. Good coffee makes even one’s company better.

So now I am ruined. I don’t think I’m a coffee snob, but maybe that’s what you would call me. Occasionally, when I just want the caffeine, I will still get a Sheetz cappuccino and cut it with their brewed coffee, and that will be ok. Not great. Not good. The locally-owned shops are better, but even they offer a wide spectrum of quality. Since I’ve started my own place, I’ve explored many of the local and regional coffee shops, and I’ve chosen my favorites and my never-agains. Some places are jumping on a bandwagon, simply seeking to capitalize on coffee culture. But there’s an art, a craft, and a bit of love behind every cup served in a quality shop. Coffee is an experience in those places, not simply a vehicle for caffeine. If you’ve ever had bad coffee in a local shop, I encourage you not to give up on the idea of ever enjoying coffee. Your own cookie-plate-espresso experience might be just around the corner.

Angela Apel is the owner of The Drawing Room Community Coffeehouse in Knox, PA, which was opened in August 2024 as a place for enjoying quality coffee, pastries, grilled sandwiches, and good company. She can be reached at thedrawingroomknox@gmail.com. Follow The Drawing Room Community Coffeehouse on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to keep up with monthly classes and events.