Aftershock Espresso LLC — Restaurant in Alaska

Good morning Anchorage and hello great coffee. Like many I've spoken with, Anchorage was a quick layover spot for me and my wife as we waited on the next flight for the final leg of our trip into the bush of Alaska. Fortunately, we both woke up in plenty of time to scout the area and coffee was top of mind. We did not have a car so we were looking pretty close and found a couple of spots but Aftershock seemed to be the most appealing so we bundled up and make the hike.

Much to our disappointment when we arrived their seating area was closed and the only way to get coffee was through the drive thru. I didn't see this posted anywhere other than the front door. They don't have a web site so the only information is through social media which didn't have it listed there either that I noticed. Regardless, we waited in the drive thru line, standing...in the cold...

Once we got to the window to order things came together nicely and the wait was soon forgotten. We ordered a couple of hot drinks (golden milk and chai) as well as a cold brew. I like cold brew year round however, I wanted to try the golden milk and needed something to warm me up. The golden milk did the trick. All drinks were great and quickly made. I'm glad we made the choice and muscled through the...

Ermagerd! What a delight! I've never just walked through a drive thru before, but I was welcomed to (the lobby was closed by my evening visit), and I'm very glad, because this was a fantastic experience. Friendly and helpful guidance from the staff led me to settle on a London Fog - but not just any London Fog, for this one was made with lavender as well as vanilla; I went all out and had it brewed with Half & Half* instead of whole milk. An magnificent blend of flavor: not too rich, just simply siptastic. Perfect for a midsummer's eve.

(*Darigold dairy products are amazing - I'm not from the PNW, so getting Darigold is a real treat each time I visit. It's sort of like crashing a Wawa when you're in the mid-Atlantic, except a bit more specific. Suffice it to say, it only made this beverage even better.)

My only complaint is that it took me two days of my short stay to stumble across this. Talk about missed opportunities! There's nothing like a good local coffee joint with happy and artful baristas....

We didn't start visiting local coffee huts until after the pandemic began. Our preference was always for sitting in a local coffee shop. But once in-store dining vanished, we had to explore Anchorage's unique drive-thru coffee scene.

After sampling widely, it's clear that Aftershock Espresso is the ruler of them all. Why? Lots of reasons! Service is amazing. The baristas are always friendly and helpful with new flavor suggestions. Option are so wide! Aftershock does more than just coffee and Italian soda. They having stunning sparkling lemonades and comforting golden milk. They do keto and vegan and whatever stuff you're into. Their cinnamon rolls are perfect AND they also have Hawaiian donuts!!! Plus, they do offer dine-in seating . . . eventually. Can't wait for this stupid pandemic...