Over the past few weeks, I have been going to new and unique places for coffee. This week, I’m profiling the Reign Drink Lab, located on Dorchester Ave. It is a Vietnamese coffee place with a modern spin, and it had some of the best, and coolest, drinks out there! If you don’t know what Vietnamese coffee is, it is a stronger version of iced coffee with sweetened condensed milk added to it. Vietnamese coffee is definitely for someone who has a sweet tooth, because it can taste a bit like melted coffee ice cream. It’s cream, and very sweet, but if you get nitro cold brew with it, the sweetness gets toned down a bit.
My favorite drink to get here is probably the “Royal,” which is Nitro Cold Brew with sea salt cream on top. I have been here so many times that I have also had the opportunity to try other flavors, too. The shop works to combine flavors of Vietnamese coffee and the smoothness of Nitro Cold Brew. With drinks like the “Dark and Stormy,” which is Nitro Cold Brew and Vietnamese coffee with the sea salt cream, there is room for all types of flavors. Their coffee selection is fairly limited to nitro cold brew and Vietnamese coffee, with varying versions of each, but I like it because I drink iced drinks normally anyway.
If you are not an iced coffee person, you can still find some caffeine here. They serve a variety of different teas including “OG Milk Tea” which is the original, special Assam black tea blend with milk or something as simple as mango green tea. They also serve decaffeinated drinks that seem to be the perfect treat on a hot day outside. These include “Pineapple Whip,” which is pineapple slush layered with homemade coconut whip on top, or “Banana Fosters,” which is banana smoothie, homemade coconut whip, and caramel. I have tried this drink, and I can confirm that it is very good. Reign Drink Lab also serves Union Square Donuts, as if their delicious drink options don’t have your mouth watering already.
The atmosphere of the shop is nothing that I was expecting. Most of the area is Pho restaurants and small shops, so when you see the Reign Drink Lab, you expect it to be similar. But, when you walk in you are greeted by a small white counter with gold accent pieces. The entire place is very modern and chic, with a giant lion printed on the left wall. Their slogan is printed above the counter, “Recognize Real,” and below is small decorations. The aesthetic is worth the trip if you’re into modern and sleek looks, while the drinks match the aesthetic.
Overall, I would definitely say this place is worth a trip, even if you try one of their decaf drinks. The small shop is really cool to see, and it’s close to campus. It is high quality coffee, too, which is really what this column is for, so in my eyes it meets review expectations!