Intelligentsia Coffee Shoal Creek

Rotating daily option of our finest Direct Trade coffees.

A cold coffee with clarity, vibrancy, and sweetness!

Our cold coffee blend infused with nitrogen for a creamy mouthfeel, served neat.

In the southern foothills of towering Mount Kenya lies Kirinyaga County, where smallholder growers who form the New Ngariama Cooperative Society deliver their cherries to the Kamwangi Factory washing station. The region's high elevation and volcanic soils are well suited for growing highly regarded local varieties like SL-28 and SL-34. Members meticulously pick their ripe cherries and deliver each day's harvest to the washing station, where cherries are carefully classified, with only the best making it into the final lot. A double fermentation and thorough rinse in fresh water from the Nyamindi River yield a complex, sparkling clean cup that lets the terroir shine. The profile is further refined at the dry mill, where the coffee is sorted to AB standards, one of Kenya's most premium quality grades.

This year, La Tortuga returns to celebrate 30 years since Marysabel Caballero and Moises Herrera began their journey together in coffee. We first introduced the name La Tortuga in 2004, taking inspiration from the tortoise in the classic fable to reflect the Caballero family's steady pursuit of quality that has been carried forward across generations. This washed lot comes from a very limited harvest of Anacafe 14, an unusual variety that originated as a natural cross between Catimor and Pacamara. It combines the rust resistance and high yields of Catimor with the distinctive cup quality of Pacamara. This coffee was grown on pine-shaded slopes in Marcala, where the natural landscape and the coffee cultivated within it are respected in equal measure. In the hands of Marysabel and Moises, the resulting cup presents a complex bouquet of florals, citrus, and sweet melon.

This lot was grown by members of the Alaka Farmers Association and processed by our longtime partners, METAD, at their Hambela washing station in the West Guji Zone of Oromia. Led by the Adinew family, METAD consistently produces some of our favorite coffees from Ethiopia. Farmers delivered their daily harvest of ripe coffee cherries to the station, where they were meticulously sorted and dried on raised beds with the fruit fully intact. METAD’s expertise and attention to detail are especially evident in natural coffees like this one, where careful processing allows the heirloom varieties and terroir to shine, preserving the distinctive expression that makes Ethiopian coffee unlike any other.

This year marks 30 years since Marysabel Caballero and Moises Herrera began their journey together in coffee, building on a legacy defined by perseverance and an unwavering commitment to quality. To celebrate this milestone, we are bringing back La Tortuga, a name first introduced in 2004 for coffee from Marysabel’s father, Don Fabio, as a nod to the classic story of the tortoise and the hare. At the time, Honduras was still emerging on the specialty coffee stage, steadily building recognition alongside its Central American neighbors.

96oz of our Barista's Choice of coffee that is being brewed that day. Dialed in perfectly for you and your group. Please allow up to 45 minutes for preparation. If ordering in quantities of 2 or more, please call 24 hours ahead of time.

Many Geisha varietal coffees sold in the U.S. come from Panama — descended from Ethiopian seed, but shaped by Panamanian terroir since the mid-20th century. This coffee, however, was cultivated on the Gesha Village Coffee Estate in Bench Maji, near the Gori Gesha forest where the variety was first catalogued in 1931. The founders of Gesha Village, Rachel Samuel and Adam Overton, handpicked seeds from that forest that most closely resemble what we know today as Panamanian Geisha and brought them to their farm. This lot was grown on the Oma section of the farm, the largest of three plots where those seeds were planted. After a selective harvest, the perfectly ripe cherries were sun-dried with meticulous care, resulting in a profile that showcases the original Gesha genetics and reflects the region’s historic terroir. This is the first of two releases we selected from this year’s Oma harvest.

Our coffee team carefully selected top lots from Colombia, Costa Rica, and Ethiopia for this blend honoring the athletes participating in the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Intelligentsia is proud to be the official coffee of the event.

A double shot of our syrupy sweet Black Cat Classic Espresso crafted with a blend of coffees from Brazil and Colombia.

Equal parts espresso and steamed milk.

A double shot of espresso with 4 oz of steamed milk.

A double shot of espresso with finely textured, steamed milk.

Our classic latte with our house-made ganache, using Askinosie single origin chocolate.

A double shot of espresso with hot water.

A double shot of espresso with 3 oz of milk, steamed slightly cooler than a cappuccino. Crushable.

A double shot of espresso with 4 oz of steamed milk, served a few degrees hotter and with less foam than a cappuccino.

A double shot of our Black Cat Classic Espresso served over ice.

Our classic latte served over ice.

Our signature iced latte with house-made ganache, using Askinosie single origin chocolate.

A double shot of espresso with water, served over ice.

A double shot of espresso with 4 oz of milk over ice.

Our Black Cat Latte made with Oat milk and our organic turbinado sugar simple syrup spiced with ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, and orange peel. Served with an optional sprinkling of cayenne.

Our Black Cat Latte made with Oat milk and our organic turbinado sugar simple syrup spiced with ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, and orange peel over ice. Served with an optional sprinkling of cayenne.

Welcome Spring with our take on an espresso tonic. Black Cat Classic espresso, Fever Tree tonic water, and Fee Brothers orange bitters.

Four shots of espresso shaken with milk and homemade vanilla syrup. A sweet treat.

Our Matcha is an exceptionally high quality powdered green tea from our own Kilogram Tea. Made with oat milk, shaken and over ice. Comes unsweetened.

Our Matcha is an exceptionally sweet powdered green tea from our own Kilogram Tea. Made with steamed oat milk.

Our classic chai tea latte over ice. Made with our own Kilogram Tea's Organic Masala Chai Tea.

Made with our own Kilogram Tea's Organic Masala Chai Tea, combined with steamed milk.

This lot was grown by smallholder farmers who are part of METAD's Kirite network in the Guji region of Oromia. It is an elegant coffee with floral aromatics and notes of fresh peach, sweet meyer lemon, and hibiscus.

Carlos Alberto Estrella has been cultivating coffee for nearly three decades, carrying forward a family tradition passed down through generations. Inspired by both legacy and a desire to chart his own path, he transitioned from cattle farming to coffee production, embracing new varieties and production techniques while building on the knowledge inherited from his parents and grandparents. Today, he manages a nine-hectare coffee farm in Nariño, refining his approach through continuous learning and collaboration with his brothers. Despite challenges like climate variability and rising costs, Carlos' dedication has earned him recognition in both national and regional competitions, placing 9th in Colombia's Cup of Excellence and 2nd in Nariño. This lot showcases La Estrella's Castillo, a resilient variety well suited to the high elevation growing conditions of Buenos Aires, La Unión, which lies just north of the Equator.

Just outside the capital city of Nairobi in Kiambu County, where agricultural land is increasingly giving way to real estate development, some 1,000 smallholder growers form the Gatatha Farmers Company and continue the area's long tradition of coffee production. They cultivate prized Kenyan varieties, including SL-28 and SL-34, and deliver their daily harvest of ripe cherry to Windrush Estate for sorting and processing. This washed lot presents a selection of peaberries, small round beans distinguished not only by their size and shape, but also by the rare coffee cherries that produce them. Unlike most coffee cherries, which contain two seeds, these cherries naturally develop only one.

This year marks 30 years since Marysabel Caballero and Moises Herrera began their journey together in coffee, building on a legacy defined by perseverance and an unwavering commitment to quality. To celebrate this milestone, we are bringing back La Tortuga, a name first introduced in 2004 for coffee from Marysabel’s father, Don Fabio, as a nod to the classic story of the tortoise and the hare. At the time, Honduras was still emerging on the specialty coffee stage, steadily building recognition alongside its Central American neighbors.

In the southern foothills of towering Mount Kenya lies Kirinyaga County, where smallholder growers who form the New Ngariama Cooperative Society deliver their cherries to the Kamwangi Factory washing station. The region's high elevation and volcanic soils are well suited for growing highly regarded local varieties like SL-28 and SL-34. Members meticulously pick their ripe cherries and deliver each day's harvest to the washing station, where cherries are carefully classified, with only the best making it into the final lot. A double fermentation and thorough rinse in fresh water from the Nyamindi River yield a complex, sparkling clean cup that lets the terroir shine. The profile is further refined at the dry mill, where the coffee is sorted to AB standards, one of Kenya's most premium quality grades.

This lot was grown by members of the Alaka Farmers Association and processed by our longtime partners, METAD, at their Hambela washing station in the West Guji Zone of Oromia. Led by the Adinew family, METAD consistently produces some of our favorite coffees from Ethiopia. Farmers delivered their daily harvest of ripe coffee cherries to the station, where they were meticulously sorted and dried on raised beds with the fruit fully intact. METAD’s expertise and attention to detail are especially evident in natural coffees like this one, where careful processing allows the heirloom varieties and terroir to shine, preserving the distinctive expression that makes Ethiopian coffee unlike any other.

This year, La Tortuga returns to celebrate 30 years since Marysabel Caballero and Moises Herrera began their journey together in coffee. We first introduced the name La Tortuga in 2004, taking inspiration from the tortoise in the classic fable to reflect the Caballero family's steady pursuit of quality that has been carried forward across generations. This washed lot comes from a very limited harvest of Anacafe 14, an unusual variety that originated as a natural cross between Catimor and Pacamara. It combines the rust resistance and high yields of Catimor with the distinctive cup quality of Pacamara. This coffee was grown on pine-shaded slopes in Marcala, where the natural landscape and the coffee cultivated within it are respected in equal measure. In the hands of Marysabel and Moises, the resulting cup presents a complex bouquet of florals, citrus, and sweet melon.

Daniel Canales made history in 2004 as the first grower to win a Cup of Excellence competition with an organically grown coffee. We purchased some of that winning lot and have continued working with the Canales family ever since. Today, the Canales family's commitment to thoughtful farming and exceptional quality continues through Daniel's three sons, Milton, Norman, and Donal, who represent the third generation at the family's farm in Pueblo Nuevo, Estelí, where they have transformed former pastureland into a diverse coffee ecosystem. This year's washed Pacamara lot was produced by Norman Canales, whose careful stewardship carries forward a legacy six decades in the making. A variety known for its remarkably large beans and distinctive flavor, the Pacamara has become one of our favorite coffees from the Canales family.

This exceptional lot was grown by cooperative member Milder Velásquez, whose farm is situated in Huehuetenango within the expansive Cuchumatanes mountain range. It is appearing on our single-origin menu for the first time.

Many Geisha varietal coffees sold in the U.S. come from Panama — descended from Ethiopian seed, but shaped by Panamanian terroir since the mid-20th century. This coffee, however, was cultivated on the Gesha Village Coffee Estate in Bench Maji, near the Gori Gesha forest where the variety was first catalogued in 1931. The founders of Gesha Village, Rachel Samuel and Adam Overton, handpicked seeds from that forest that most closely resemble what we know today as Panamanian Geisha and brought them to their farm. This lot was grown on the Oma section of the farm, the largest of three plots where those seeds were planted. After a selective harvest, the perfectly ripe cherries were sun-dried with meticulous care, resulting in a profile that showcases the original Gesha genetics and reflects the region’s historic terroir. This is the first of two releases we selected from this year’s Oma harvest.

A shade-grown organic blend designed to enlighten, anchored by a luminous Ethiopian single-origin lot.

We've teamed up with Swift Cup Coffee to bring you an instant coffee with quality in mind. Try our Intelligentsia House Blend instantly with just 8oz of hot or cold water! This 5 pack of single-servings is perfect when traveling or on-the-go.

Our Black Cat blend has been a staple in the Intelligentsia espresso lineup since we opened our doors back in 1995. El Gato is Black Cat's alter-ego, designed to deliver the Black Cat experience for fans of filtered coffee.

This year's edition of Summer Solstice blends coffees from Colombia, Peru, and Ethiopia to evoke the berry and bright citrus flavors of the season. Flavor notes: blueberry, honey, & lime.

Our coffee team carefully selected top lots from Colombia, Costa Rica, and Ethiopia for this blend honoring the athletes participating in the 2026 Chicago Marathon. Intelligentsia is proud to be the official coffee of the event.

This syrupy sweet espresso blend has been the staple of our lineup since the very beginning. Supreme balance and a wonderful sweetness make this a classic.

A sweet, full-bodied espresso that balances flavors of roasted nuts and chocolate with cherry and dark fruit. Look for: roasted hazelnut, cherry, nougat.

This lot comes from the Ayla washing station in Bombe, a high elevation coffee growing community in Ethiopia’s Sidama region. Established in 2010 by family-owned Testi Coffee, Ayla receives freshly picked coffee cherries from neighboring smallholder farmers. Farmers in Bombe cultivate coffee on small plots of land that reach as high as 2,150 meters above sea level, with coffee growing alongside other crops and beneath the shade of native trees. At the washing station, careful sorting begins the moment the cherries arrive and continues throughout processing. The coffee is washed in fresh water from the Bonora River before being dried and sorted on raised beds. As espresso, the sweetness and complexity of coffees from this region really shine. Expect notes of ripe stone fruit and fresh lime zest.

Granny Smith Apple & Sunflower Cinnamon Oatmeal (Nut-Free)

Cultivated Blueberry & Vermont Maple Oatmeal

Sun-Ripened Strawberry & Madagascar Vanilla Oatmeal