drifter coffee detroit michigan coffee trailer pop up sprudge

The coffee shop on wheelsโ€”the food truck gone fluid. To some, it may seem out of theย ordinary, but the concept makes perfect sense. Coffee puts millions of people around in motion every morning, why shouldnโ€™t it, too, be on the move? Particularly in the Motor City.

Alleah Webb, the 24-year-old โ€œhead honchoโ€ of Southeast Michigan pop-upย Drifter Coffee, agrees, and she put this idea into fruition in a Serro Scotty trailer that rolls around the region, with a recent focus on theย city ofย Detroit.

This spring, Drifter popped up in multiple locations including Cityย Bird, the Detroit Riverfront Park, the Ferndale Farmers Market, and the Royal Oak Farmers Market, gathering a steady stream of customers.

drifter coffee detroit michigan coffee trailer pop up sprudge

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drifter coffee detroit michigan coffee trailer pop up sprudge

โ€œCoffee is such an important part of peopleโ€™s days,โ€ Webb tells me. โ€œI want this to be the best five minutes of their day. Weโ€™re trying to deliver happiness.โ€

Along with happiness, Drifter focuses on peddlingย local flavor. Coffee is a rotating single-origin selection from Ypsilanti’sย Hyperion Coffee Company, and sweet treats come fromย Mitten Bites,ย created by Detroit high schoolers. The students do everything from coming up with recipes to marketing and selling the products. Webb says she likes to focus on subtle coffees, which please her customer base.

“We stay away from very acidic and fruity coffees, and shoot for more chocolaty or nutty coffees,” says Webb. “Our customers’ faces light up when we use sweet or caramely as adjectives, so we have learned to purchase coffees that fall into those categories.”

Drifter mainly operates during the spring and summer, so their most popular items are Japanese-styleย iced coffee and a Traverse City cherry iced “tea” infusion. The cherry iced tea is a mixture of cherries, hibiscus, cinnamon, sunflower, and rose petals.ย Teas areย from Birmingham, Michigan’s, Eli Tea,ย which sourcesย its tea from both American and international gardensโ€”making a point to focus on the quality of the production process.

drifter coffee detroit michigan coffee trailer pop up sprudge
Jess and Alleah Webb

Though the trailer itself is smallโ€”the no-frills operation doesn’t offer espressoโ€”it accommodatesย a close-knit crew. Jess Webb, Webbโ€™s sister, helps the operation run, mainly as a barista. Webbโ€™s boyfriend, parents, and other friends assist in the operation as well.

Drifter will be returning toย City Bird on weekends throughout the summer, while aย new second coffee trailerย will be seasonally located in Ferndaleโ€™s Detroit Fleat food truck park. The crew will also be back for their second year at Electric Forest Music Festival in Rothbury, Michigan.

Webb is excited about the upcoming events. โ€œIโ€™m living my dream every day,โ€ she tells me, leaning against the interior of the trailer and pouring an apple-ginger iced tea.

โ€œThis really is the best lifestyle.โ€

Drifter Coffee is a portable coffee pop-up that can be found around the Detroit area. Visit their official website and follow them onย Twitter and Instagram.

Edie Wilson is a freelance journalist. Read more Edie Wilson on Sprudge.

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