Shoppers at The Veggie Wagon in Carolina Beach can now enjoy one of the latest trends to sweep the  area: pour-over coffee.

The Veggie Wagon is now offering pour-over coffees prepared with organic coffee beans from Island Roast Coffee of Carolina Beach. The roastery uses Arabica bean coffees from around the world and roasts them in small batches.

Pour-over coffee is a Japanese brewing method that offers a stronger flavor than coffee brewed from a machine, and it also takes a bit longer to prepare.

“Pour-over coffee is a much longer and hands-on process, but it is the best way to extract all of the flavor out of the beans and make the best possible cup of coffee,” said Veggie Wagon co-owner April Sussman. “We offer Ken's Organic coffee [from Island Roast Coffee] in three body profiles: light, dark and decaf. The response has been great and people really enjoy seeing the coffee brewed in a unique way in front of them. We are very happy to have the opportunity to feature another local producer and be able to take their product to the next level for the customers.”

Another new addition to The Veggie Wagon is its all-natural hot chocolate bar. Sussman and her husband, Max, have created seven hot chocolate blends, all without preservatives or additives, as well as homemade marshmallows made with local honey. The hot chocolates can also be prepared with a shot of Ken’s Island Roast organic espresso.

Some of the signature Veggie Wagon blends include Salted Caramel, Nutella, Axton’s Peppermint and Orange Cinnamon. The hot chocolates can be prepared with organic whole or low-fat milk as well as almond or coconut milk. There are also vegan milk options.

"The Hot Chocolate bar is our baby,” April Sussman said. “We had so much fun designing it. It ended up being way more work that we anticipated, but it was well worth it in the end.”

The Veggie Wagon is located at 608 B S. Lake Park Blvd. in Carolina Beach.

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