At 3 p.m. on a weekday inside Bushwick’s trendy Dayglow cafe, barista Joshua Thierry bends over a coupe glass on the bar like he’s defusing a bomb.
The object of his very close attention is the Twin Peaks, one of the shop’s popular coffee cocktails — a cherry-crowned, crystal-clear “milk punch” that looks exactly like a Manhattan, hits like a jolt of jet-fuel coffee, costs $12 and somehow contains exactly zero booze.
Creating the drink, part of a special menu dedicated to the late, great David Lynch, is a ridiculously labor intensive process that starts with the creation of a base as bizarre as the TV show it was designed to honor — a shot of chocolatey Mexican espresso is combined with lemon, tart cherry juice, Amarena cherries, black-tea tincture and a whisper of salt.
This mix is then poured into buttermilk and left to curdle so the milk proteins can yank out the harsh flavors and leave behind something silky enough to star in a perfume ad. Once chilled and strained, a process that takes at least a day, it is poured over a single, large ice cube — and finished with a glossy Amarena cherry.
Around Thierry, a crowd of worshipful, Instagram-ready Gen Zers swipe their phones between sips, ignoring the afternoon sun outside — too busy documenting some of Brooklyn’s hottest coffee mocktail porn.
Welcome to New York’s newest kind of nightlife — in broad daylight, fully caffeinated, and hangover-free.
According to a recent survey, Gen Zers are drinking less alcohol than any previous generation, but they still crave the ritual, the vibe, and the artful presentation of a cocktail.
Shops like Dayglow have stepped in to fill the void — shaking, stirring, and torching glossy mocktails that look like they belong on a speakeasy menu but actually deliver a caffeine kick instead of a hangover. Think espresso martinis without the existential dread, frothy creations that taste like dessert and smell like theater, and cold brew tonics that could double as modern art.
In a city that never sleeps, caffeine is no longer just a morning ritual — it’s an art form, a social currency, and a passport to nightlife for the sober-curious.
From sunlit West Village cafés to Midtown temples of chrome and marble, New Yorkers are sipping drinks that look like couture cocktails — but pack the punch of coffee.
“People are drinking less alcohol — but they still want the ambience and social experience of enjoying a great cocktail at a bar,” said Dayglow founder Tohm Ifergan, whose Bushwick shop tends to draw daytime crowds that look like they’re pregaming for the next Fashion Week.
Many of Ifergan’s customers come for the cafe’s signature Totoro, which blends distilled coffee, black sesame, orange blossom, honey, oat milk, and coconut cream.
It’s comforting, nutty, magical — a drink that could star in a Studio Ghibli film. It costs $12, like the Twin Peaks – but that doesn’t seem to bother anyone.
“Sometimes you don’t want alcohol every night,” Dayglow fan Madeline Northway, 33, a photographer, told The Post. “This coffee mocktail feels more special than a regular latte, so it’s worth the [money] $10 to $12.”
Model and fellow photographer Sydney Jackson, 29, agreed: “The Twin Peaks looks like an Old Fashioned but gives me coffee energy instead of a hangover. It’s chic without regret.”
According to Ifergan, today’s non-imbibing New Yorkers want drinks with “a more luxurious experience,” and cafés have become the natural place to get it: part bar, part lab, part TikTok set.
And thanks to social media, the pressure is on.
“Especially with the rise of TikTok, beverage creation is now a public art which has pushed the coffee industry to be more creative in its mixology,” he told The Post.
Meanwhile, across the East River, the spectacle continues at Felix Roasting Co. on Park Avenue.
In the shadow of the hulking new JPMorganChase tower at 47th St., Manhattanites in well-polished loafers sip alongside freelancers and tourists, united in the pursuit of Midtown’s hottest caffeine high — the Hickory Smoked S’mores Latte, removed with a flourish from underneath a cloche, sending a plume of smoke swirling toward the ceiling like a tiny Manhattan campfire.
This artisan drink, which costs $15, isn’t just made — it’s staged. Baristas steep the drink in graham crackers for a full 24 hours, pour it into a dainty Nick & Nora glass, then rim the whole thing in dark chocolate and crushed nuts like it’s headed to prom.
The finale? The entire concoction gets trapped under the hickory-filled cloche for a smoky séance, while a house-made vanilla marshmallow is toasted tableside to whatever level of char your inner camper demands.
If you start feeling nostalgic for summer camp experiences of yesteryear, that’s the point, Felix founder Matt Moinian told The Post.
“These drinks are meant to be transportive, bringing you to a time and place far away from the hustle and bustle,” he said.
5 essential stops on the coffee mocktail circuit
Dayglow
Bushwick’s buzziest hangout, part sunlit café, part night-time brewery, is serving up high-end coffee and cocktail-level creativity in a bright, TikTok-ready space — and yes, pups are welcome too. From rare beans to over-the-top coffee mocktails, it’s where caffeine meets style.
Smooth, sweet, and dangerously easy to sip, the Twin Peaks ($12) is a noir-ish milk punch that drinks like a classy caffeinated Manhattan or Old Fashioned.
The jet-black Totoro ($12), a charcoal-based drink, is coconutty, sweet, and magical — like a Ghibli character in a cup.
The azure-hued Mulholland Drive ($10) punches with clarified coconut milk, lime, mint, and nutmeg, playing tricks on the palate — like the blue box at Club Silencio in the famed Lynch film.
The Eraserhead ($10)? Sewer-green foam, melon soda, distilled coffee, and charcoal coconut cream combine into a weirdly delicious experience.
Felix Roasting Co.
Midtown’s caffeine jewel box is decked out by designer Ken Fulk, where Instagram-ready interiors meet over-the-top coffee creations.
From house-made coffee syrups to intricate paninis, it’s part luxury coffee lab, part stylish hangout, all served with a smile.
Their Hickory Smoked S’mores Latte ($15) is like a childhood campfire in a glass, complete with toasted marshmallow aroma and a hint of hickory smoke. It’s the only Midtown non-alcoholic drink that we can think of that comes with smoke and a marshmallow roast.
The Deconstructed Espresso Tonic ($11): is part cocktail, part coffee lab: fresh house-made tonic, Campari reduction, triple basil, lemon zest, and a mist of rosewater make it as much a performance as a drink
Fellini Coffee
Fellini Coffee is tiny, triangle-shaped and totally photogenic. It brings classic Italian vibes to the West Village with top-notch espresso and a welcoming staff.
Add a hit of social media buzz and expanding locations, and it’s no wonder everyone (including Dua Lipa and fiancé Callum Turner) is lining up for a dolce vita caffè.
The Tiramisu Latte ($11) is basically dessert in a cup — a bougie, booze-free “coffee mocktail” whipped up with double espresso, mascarpone, cocoa powder and milk.
It’s tiramisu you can drink, no spoon — or dignity — required.
Unregular
Unregular Bakery — the carb-loaded fever dream that gave New York Kinder Bueno bomboloni and Aperol-spiked croissants — has officially doubled down on being the city’s most TikTok-bait bakery with its latest stunt: Lattinis.
Think latte meets martini, with all the subtlety of a pastry chef on a sugar bender. Each $8 drink arrives crowned with three skewered mini croissants, basically a bread bouquet bobbing over your cold foam. They rotate flavors with the seasons like a fashion house — but this month’s lineup is pure catnip for the content crowd.
The Cold Brew Lattini comes with chocolate croissants dusted in feuilletine, because why not turn your morning caffeine into a dessert tray?
The Green Matcha Lattini doubles down with matcha-drizzled croissants, a drink and a pastry shop in one cup.
The Strawberry Rose Lattini is floral, frothy and unmistakably Instagram-ready — a pink-petaled fever dream that tastes like February in Paris.
And the Blue Matcha Lattini, made from butterfly-pea flowers, looks like a potion brewed by a very chic witch, finished with lavender syrup and three plain minis for good measure.
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