For most university students, coffee shops are a great place to finish assignments, get some reading done and study – all while enjoying a coffee or tea.
But in August, Tianna Colpitts opened The Affirmation Lounge, a non-alcoholic herbal tea bar in downtown Fredericton, breaking away from the common café atmosphere.
Located on Mazzucas Lane off York Street, the lounge is calming but still has a social environment. It features low-lighting, homemade furniture, free wi-fi and tons of board games.
Matthew Haley, a New Brunswick College of Craft and Design student, describes it as a dry bar.
“People are really chill, I feel really good studying here. It’s a social environment but it’s not rowdy,” Haley said. “You can have good conversations here with people you don’t know.”
Along with the paintings by local artists, there’s usually some entertainment. Music from different decades fills the lounge and sometimes live bands perform.
The Storm Relief beverage is a best seller. Made of pau d’arco, gotu kola, ginkgo, white willow bark, hibiscus, pineapple juice, guava juice, coconut creamer and raspberry, it’s a remedy for headaches and hangovers.
With late nights studying and early morning classes, caffeine is a go-to for university students. But the lounge offers a healthy way to gain energy.
Maca is an herb included in the Love Bird drink sold at the Affirmation Lounge and it’s proven to increase energy levels.
While coffee in excess causes anxiety and sleep problems, chamomile, a plant in some of The Affirmation Lounge’s drinks, like the Chamomile Sunrise and Iced Chamomile, helps combat anxiety, sleep problems and can even help with acne and inflammation.
Everything in the lounge is vegan, including the newly added food options and all the drinks on the menu. Haley, who is lactose intolerant, especially enjoys this.
“It’s good to be able to get a creamy drink that doesn’t have any milk in it,” Haley said.
With prices comparable to other coffee shops, The Affirmation Lounge is a great place to study, chat and have a healthy drink with friends.
