Located across from Washburn’s corner waterfall is The Flying Monkey, where a cup of coffee can be made four different ways and then some.

They provide no pre-brewed coffee, and it’s made fresh and hand-poured to one’s individual tastes. Flying Monkey made its debut in December 2011 and have brews on tap from the Blind Tiger, Java Porter and Raw Wheat. The creator of the Java Porter blend was John Dean, who also brews coffee at the Blind Tiger.

“Dean is a coffee nerd on the side,” said Holly Bastin, director of retail for PT’s Coffee. “He likes to brew coffee for fun.”

Flying Monkey got its name from their espresso blend and enjoyed the image created by their graphic designer.

“It’s based on The Wizard of Oz,” said Bastin. “It’s still Kansas and Midwestern themed but fun.”

Flying Monkey is the only coffee shop in Topeka that brews their coffee in three additional methods, and each flavor is unique in itself. The first is the Trifecta method. It creates a mild smooth taste. The second is the Pour Over, which is the mildest of the three methods.

What’s distinctive about this method is the water and coffee blend together as it is brewing. The coffee is saturated, and one can watch the coffee bubble up as it agitates the gasses to make it foam as it brews within a couple of minutes.

The Chemex (French Press) method is an hourglass-shaped glass pitcher that uses a fine paper filter and leads to a cleaner cup of java. This method is strongest of the three and provides more of the body with less acidity in the taste. With both the Trifecta and the French Press method, the water and coffee are together throughout the brewing process.

Every first and third Sunday at noon, Flying Monkey provides coffee tastings (cuppings) where coffee lovers can try all three methods. Chemex pitchers are available for purchase and can get tips on how to make your own fresh coffee from home.

They have a full espresso menu, along with bottled and draft beers. On the food side are salads, soups, sandwiches, quiche and baked goods, all made from scratch. Soups and quiche change daily. Two of their salads are quinoa and tabboueh. Quinoa provides complete protein and is super healthy. Their seeded flatbread is popular with their hummus dip.

Their hours are Mon. – Thurs.  6:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., Fri 6:30 a.m.- 10 p.m., Sat 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. and Sun 7 a.m.- 8 p.m. Students can get a 10 percent discount when they show their Washburn ID.