The 10 best coffeehouse drinks to fuel your day at the fair

For all the love we have for a cup of egg coffee at Salem Lutheran Church Dining Hall, coffee tastes and styles have evolved, and vendors have brought the modern world of caffeine consumption to the Minnesota State Fair.

This year, there seems to be extra care given to what’s being poured. From popping boba bubbles to frothy foam sweetened with coconutty pandan to brûléed marshmallows, there are plenty of drinkable treats.

While some fair fans like to plan their fair route by food vendor, we’re marking off these spots for our own coffee crawl. These are the 10 you shouldn’t miss.

Here’s hoping that next year the lines at Beans & Beignets are divided between beans and beignets, because 45 minutes is a long time wait for the whipped honey-topped coffee drinks. And yet ... we waited in that line more than once for the chance to drink another. The new drink of the season is the Stinger: an iced or hot latte topped with cayenne-spiced whipped honey. Temperate Minnesota palates will appreciate that any latte can be garnished with this cloud of golden goodness. It’s wonderful — and worth the wait.

$9-$12; Judson Av. and Clough St.

Fair days that start inside the Hamline Church Dining Hall come with a built-in sense of community. Standing in line for a bite and then sitting at the long communal tables make it impossible to be a grouch. But the days get even sweeter with the new coffee drink from St. Paul’s Ginkgo Coffeehouse — espresso over ice, sweetened with just the right amount of Minnesota-made maple syrup.

$8; Dan Patch Av. between Underwood and Cooper Sts.

$8.50, $11; West End Market

Coffee and horchata combine to make sweet, refreshing flavors at the El Burrito Mercado stand inside the International Bazaar. It’s a simple blend of horchata, with all its cinnamon-sugar-spiked starchy goodness, mixed with coffee over ice.

$8; International Bazaar

Boba has arrived at the fair in these two delicious, and notably large, beverages at Chan’s Eatery. Both toppings were a luscious, creamy mix that sweetly balanced the strong coffee below. The pandan was a crowd pleaser with its nutty flavor that tasted like a mix of pistachio and coconut flavors, and the vibrant ube mellows into the brew. Boba pearls are optional, but who doesn’t want the fun of chewing on those bouncy bites as they hike up to Machinery Hill?

$11; east side of Underwood St. between Murphy and Lee Avs.

$9; northwest corner of Carnes Av. and Underwood St.

This iced Vietnamese coffee beverage from Que Viet comes on sweet and finishes strong, making it a perfect pairing with that robust giant eggroll on a stick. Strong brewed Vietnamese coffee is mixed with sweet and creamy condensed milk for a refreshing beverage with a hefty caffeine kick.

$8; east side of Cooper St. outside the Merch Market

If anyone knows how to get up and start the day, it’s a farmer. So, it makes sense that the Minnesota Farmers Union Coffee Shop has one of our all-time favorite fair coffee drinks. Nitro cold brew pours thick, creamy and extra cold with a thick, frothy head. Just a little bit of sweetness balances that rich, roasty coffee flavor, making it imminently crushable.

$8.50; Dan Patch Av. between Cooper and Cosgrove Sts.

$9.75; West End Market

The iconic pairing of fried dough tossed in cinnamon and sugar with a stiff cup of joe is all inside one cup at Anchor Coffee. The whipped cream is the right touch to take this over-the-top sip from good to glorious. This mobile coffee bar was part of a new wave of coffeehouse-style beverages found at the fairgrounds, and they created a classic when this beverage debuted. Just like that first bag of Tom Thumb mini donuts, this is a taste we look forward to all year.

$9; west side of Underwood St. between Dan Patch and Carnes Avs.