It’s just a cup of coffee, right? Not if you’re sipping that cup of coffee at the Greenhouse on Porter in Ocean Springs. Coffee shop culture is huge everywhere from Seattle, where this craze seems to have started, to cities all around the globe, but the Greenhouse is different. I’ve seen coffee shops in old fire stations, in aging strip malls, and slick brand new buildings paid for by one of the corporate giants, but the Greenhouse is really different, and the difference isn’t only in being located in such a unique setting.
The Greenhouse likes to say they are all about biscuits, beer, and friends, but my favorite offering is one very special cup of coffee: Mama Mocha’s Black Moonshine. Mama describes it as a “Sumatra soaked with Jack Daniels and roasted to French Cajun. Thin body. Deep and smoky flavor. Muted acidity. Effervescent and electric mouthfeel. “ Pretty cool, don’t you think?
But it is just a cup of coffee, right? It is, and Mama’s description is a good one, but Mama doesn’t know what is going on in the Greenhouse. I am not the only one who loves Black Moonshine, so does Diane, my poet friend who hangs out there. She has published more poetry that I have ever read, has a PhD in literature and taught at Sarah Lawrence. Impressive. So does my friend Mick. He is a world traveler, combat vet, and man of a substantial character, as does Scotty, a tennis pro and history buff. Cyan, my friend with an advanced degree in genetics, and Zaba, who is a geologist, also agree it is one fine cup of coffee. So, you get my point, right? You just never know who is going to walk in the door at the Greenhouse, and yes, it is much more than just a cup of coffee.
The Greenhouse does sell a lot of Black Moonshine, but it’s the people that you meet here that make this place so very special. On any given day, the Greenhouse offers a dozen and a half teas and coffee to choose from, and the selection does vary, but when Black Moonshine is on the list, you can be sure that is where I am going.
The Greenhouse also has music on the weekends, trivia, bingo, poetry night, and perhaps what they are best known for is homemade biscuits, and these are no ordinary biscuits, but to learn more about that, you will have to wait for another column. I’m heading back for another cup of Black Moonshine.