the buzz

Right after warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies, there's nothing better than a good cup of coffee. So, in celebration of ~National Coffee Day~ today, Cosmopolitan.com teamed up with Yelp to find the best coffee shops in America in 2016. Now there isn't a totally scientific formula to this - as long as they weren't part of a national chain, everything was fair game.Some of these shops are a hipster's delight with marble tables and industrial interiors; others are more traditional with oversize chairs and snuggly rugs. The one thing every shop has in common though is that it serves a killer cup of coffee.

Colorado: The Molecule Effect

It only makes sense that The Molecule Effect is a coffee-bar-meets-wine-bar-meets-art-gallery given its location in Denver's art district. Its coffee is just as creative as its locale - nitrogen-infused cold brews, autumn rose lattes, and Bulletproof coffees, which is coffee with butter and coconut oil, and surprisingly popular according to Yelpers.

This popular beverage, made with coffee, grass-fed butter, and a shot of medium-chain triglyceride oil, supposedly increases your energy and helps you burn fat. Here's where to get your fix.

Bulletproof coffee is a whipped drink of high-quality coffee, grass-fed butter, and a shot of medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil. Invented by Silicon Valley investor and technology entrepreneur Dave Asprey and now part of his comprehensive "Bulletproof Diet" plan, the popular drink is marketed as a "biohack": brain food that can substitute for a meal, help increase energy, and burn more fat throughout the day. Although controversial, some swear by Bulletproof's combo of healthy fats and caffeine.On first sip, Bulletproof tends to get a "love it or hate it" reaction. It's creamy and foamy like a latte, but can taste somewhat bland because the butter mutes the coffee. But it is also a rich drink that will immediately appeal to some palates. For me, it was an acquired taste.

The Molecule Effect in Lincoln Park premeasures the fatty ingredients (two tablespoons of grass-fed butter and coconut oil) for its Bulletproof to make sure that it has the perfect consistency when blended with two shots of espresso. This funky cafe is built to inspire creativity with an industrial design and unusual art, like an LED poster that endlessly scrolls through Tinder profiles, so the Bulletproof ethos fits right into their offerings. Plus, the Molecule Effect opens at 6 a.m. every day but Sunday, so you can get your blast of energy first thing in the morning.

The Art District on Santa Fe just got a little artier. The Molecule Effect, a coffee and wine bar owned by partners Megyn Rodgers and Mark Landman, is now open at the corner of West 12th Avenue and Santa Fe Drive, featuring local art on the walls, early morning coffee service starting at 6 a.m. on weekdays, a short list of beer and wine, and a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, panini and other cafe nibbles.

Landman says the inspiration for The Molecule Effect name came from the results of drinking coffee and wine, as well as from the chemistry between people. Megyn and I both love coffee and wine, he explains. We have to have our coffee first thing in the morning -- that's the caffeine molecule's effect on us.If we drink a little too much wine, he adds, that's the (alcohol) molecule's effect. We also wanted to create a place that encourages chemistry between customers.

To that end, Rodgers and Landman built the space with meetings and interactions in mind. Today they are as often in the comfy dining room meeting new customers as they are behind the bar, serving Kaladi Brothers coffee, Renegade beer and Happy Leaf kombucha on tap, or wine by the glass. Board games and a Sunday game day also encourage interaction and conversation, which Landman says he prefers over a room full of laptop users.

Breakfast sandwiches and panini come courtesy of Share Good Foods, a local company specializing in cafe-style eats. Molecule also offers also oatmeal and a berry parfait for breakfast, a prosciutto and cheese plate and an assortment of baked goods. Also on tap is a pre-mixed sweet and creamy coffee drink that can be served on ice or spiked with brandy.

The Molecule Effect is open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Keep reading for a closer look.

The Art District on Santa Fe just got a little artier. The Molecule Effect, a coffee and wine bar owned by partners Megyn Rodgers and Mark Landman, is now open at the corner of West 12th Avenue and Santa Fe Drive, featuring local art on the walls, early morning coffee service starting at 6 a.m. on weekdays, a short list of beer and wine, and a variety of hot and cold sandwiches, panini and other cafe nibbles.

Speaking of food, it's time for Whats up Wednesday and our new restaurant of the week.

You know the one thing about Starbucks is, they're missing the bar! But a new, local coffee shop, is mixing it up and Meaghan Mooney's taking us to the molecule effect for our restaurant of the week.

Break your extra-hot cappuccino routine and beat the Denver heat with these six icy coffee drinks that include everything from lavender syrup to scoops of ice cream.

Peppermint Paige from The Molecule Effect
Forgo the ubiquitous Frappuccino for The Molecule Effect's Peppermint Paige (pictured above), a sweet concoction spiked with two shots of espresso, white chocolate sauce, a few pumps of peppermint and vanilla syrups, whipped cream and drizzles of dark chocolate. It's essentially an elevated iced mocha that doubles as dessert.