The Secret Sipper: Coava Brew at WTF Coffee Lab

co-owner Asio Highsmith is excited.

Upon learning that his Willoughby Avenue coffeeshop made No. 2 on Eater NY's list of Where to Drink Coffee in New York City Right Now, Highsmith enthusiastically welcomed another feather in his somewhat overlooked cafe's cap.

WTF joins two other Brooklyn haunts, Williamsburg's Blue Bottle and Toby's Estate, at the top of Eater's list.

As for the borough's heavy coffee presence, Highsmith had a theory.

"Brooklyn is holding it down. And you know why... we live here," he said. "It’s community based. We’re talking to people, we see our customer base, we see their kids... we try to communicate with them."

So to help Highsmith and baristas John Hrabe and Tony West celebrate, The Secret Sipper tried a cup of WTF's signature brew made with beans from Coava Coffee Roasters of Portland, Ore.

The result was a pretty good cup of Joe that slowly surrendered notes of hibiscus with a chocolately finish—the kind of coffee better savored during one's lunch break then swilled while dashing to the subway. 

The owner of the recently reopened Dick and Jane's Bar on Adelphi Street, Highsmith not surprisingly takes a bartender's approach to coffee service.

"It's all about the ingredients, and the service," he said.