Cognoscenti Coffee Antoinette

Coffee Los Angeles

A devilish sign signaled my arrival at Cog Coffee's latest outpost in Highland Park.

Cognoscenti Coffee, which Yeekai Lim launched in 2010, has already found success at Atwater Village’s Proof Bakery and with a stand-alone venture in the Culver City Arts District. Considering Cog is in expansion mode, it’s a good thing Lim has caffeinated lieutenant Jack Benchakul presiding over the mobile cart inside Good Girl Dinette, Diep Tran’s airy, brick-walled cafe.


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For his first signature beverage in Highland Park, Benchakul started the name with A and ended with “ette” to honor the Dinette location.

The Antoinette ($5) is a powerful beverage that includes a velvety smooth two-stage, 48-hour cold brew, which soaks for 24 hours at room temp and 24 hours in fridge “to slow down extraction” and keep it from getting too “wine-y.” A Bulleit Bourbon reduction cooks down for 30 minutes and joins rock sugar syrup. Balance comes from a splash of coconut milk and two shots of Heart Roasters Stereo espresso. Benchakul shakes all of the ingredients with ice before straining the frothy results in a glass.

Benchakul plans to add signature coffee beverages to the line-up as inspiration strikes.

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Joshua Lurie

Joshua Lurie founded FoodGPS in 2005. Read about him here.

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