Let’s set the scene: You are a first-year student at William Jewell College, only just beginning to spend your days studying in the PLC and meeting up with friends in the Union. You see the Beak and the Perch – Jewell’s resident coffee shops that serve as a selling point for prospective students. You decide it’s time to finally start spending the Cardinal Dollars you’ve been trying to conserve.
When you get to the counter, you’re overwhelmed. The menu shows a variety of teas, cold beverages, smoothies, hot drinks and coffee. Do you want a hot or cold drink? Tea or coffee? An always-reliable lemonade? Like a deer in the headlights, you’re unsure which move to make.
Little do you know, there only is one move to make: an iced Cardinal Grind, the best drink at the Beak and the Perch.
Clearly, the superior drink served to Jewell students, the Cardinal Grind features a classic mix of mint, chocolate and espresso. It’s just the right amount of sweet with a hint of mint. Ordered as an iced drink – because, as I’ve previously argued, iced coffee is the only acceptable choice – the Cardinal Grind is practically unbeatable.
I’m not denying that there are some drinks with the ability to give the Cardinal Grind a run for its money. Strawberry lemonade can be tempting on hot summer days as a good way to refresh before another afternoon class. And sometimes, even I have been swayed by the classic iced vanilla latte.
As a first-year myself, I experienced the overwhelmed feeling when first ordering at the Beak and I’ve tried several of the options on the hunt for the best. The Cardinal Grind is it. Add an extra shot of espresso on the days your 7:45 a.m. class is just a little too early in the morning and the Cardinal Grind will be able to fulfill all of your college student beverage needs.