A great cup of coffee is even better when every cup supports a meaningful cause. On our Father’s Day 2021 road trip my husband said, “find yourself an esspressotrip in Wilmington, NC.” He didn’t have to ask me twice. After a quick Google search, I found Bitty and Beau’s- a unique coffee house whose proprietors describe as a “human rights movement disguised as a coffee shop. Although the goal was to find a blog-worthy coffee; It was their mission that intrigued me to visit them.

Ben and Amy Wright- owners of Bitty and Beau’s are the proud parents of 4 children; two of which have Down syndrome:” A condition in which a person has an extra chromosome. Chromosomes are small “packages” of genes in the body. They determine how a baby’s body forms and functions as it grows during pregnancy and after birth.” The Wrights are advocates for people living with intellectual and developmental disabilities and have dedicated their lives to making the world a better place for their children and others living with disabilities. 

“Two of Diamonds!” My order was ready! My husband had a cold brew lightly sweeten with brown sugar-cinnamon syrup and a splash of oat milk. I had an Oat Milk brown sugar-cinnamon latte. And the girls had frappes: Cotton Candy and Cookies and Cream. We also enjoyed a lemon cranberry muffin. Everything was delicious.

During our visit, I had the pleasure of speaking with the cashier Jesse. We spoke at length about the rich mission of Bitty and Beau’s. She shared that working there provides her and others a place of employment that is radically inclusive and without judgment. Jesse says; “it is the card we are dealt in life but it doesn’t limit us at all”. This explained why customers are dealt a card after placing their order. So, instead of calling a person’s order out by name, the barista says, for example, “Five of Hearts”

The service and coffee at Bitty’s and Beau’s were amazing. But what also stood out was a warm atmosphere full of blessings and gratitude. 

I was also happy to learn about other franchised locations, such as Washington, DC, Annapolis, MD, Savanah, GA, and more. 

My future travels to Willmington, NC will always include Bitty and Beau’s.

Check out the website for more information: https://www.bittyandbeauscoffee.com/

Yours in coffee,

Alicia

References: “What is Down Syndrom?”,6 April, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/downsyndrome.html

Are you ready to Elevate your Destiny? Is it time for you to forgive that unimaginable event that occurred in your life? You can start the process by getting a copy of this book.

I’m excited to announce that author’s copies are now available.

Order your signed copy today by emailing: dalton.alicia@gmail.com

Please include your name, address, quantity and special instructions for signing (ie. if the book is a gift include their name too).

Start your forgiveness journey today!

Warmly,

Alicia

This summer we celebrated our 10th wedding Anniversary. To mark this most beautiful milestone we traveled to Crete (among other places).

Crete is the largest island in Greece.  It is well known for its varied terrain, which spans from beautiful sandy beaches in Elafonisi to the White Mountains. On our drives at night, I especially enjoyed seeing  the mountains as they lit up the sky. I like to describe Crete as “where rustic meets beauty and where beauty meets rustic.” The island is simply spectacular and so was the coffee🤗

Lyarakis Winery

The Cretan coffee I had in the Village of Hersoniss was very nice and smooth. It had the consistency of hot chocolate. I am told that it is cooked on the stove in a small saucepan. In fact, the process for making coffee is very ritualistic and its preparation has been preserved for over 500 years.  The coffee is always lightly roasted and finely ground. Equally important to this preparation is the temperature of the water being sure to never allow it to boil.  I believe this lends to the smooth (never bitter) taste of coffee in Greece.

Nyktaph Coffee and Bakery is located in Hersonissos. We visited this place twice. The second time we wanted an Afagato. The Barista found it interesting and had no idea what it was. So, we showed him how to make it and viola! He made it and served it with much enthusiasm. It may very well be the best ones we’ve had. Kenny had his with two scoops of pistachio gelato. I had a Greek inspired flavor that unfortunately I cannot pronounce😆😆😆. It reminded me of caramel with baklava🤗🤗. Yum!

Although we did not try any of the pastries, I had to take pictures because they looked so tasty!

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The temperature was very hot in Greece. I needed something cold to drink.  Here I am enjoying this Freddo, which is the Cretan version of an Iced Latte.

The coffee culture in Greece is definitely becoming  more and more popular. I hope that on our next visit we see Afagato on the menu.

ειλικρινά δικός σου
(Yours truly),
Alicia