Arnon Thitprasert, the brainchild behind Chiang Mai's super-cool Ristr8to, has opened a second coffee shop within walking distance of the original. Located between Nimmanhemin soi 3 and 5, the minimal Scandinavian-style Ristr8to Lab (www.fb.com/ristr8to) focuses on the concept of cult coffee, showcasing what Arnon's learned from various coffee-making competitions and trips around the world.

The cafe is divided into three sections with three different menus. The first section is known as the Roasting Lab, where carefully selected beans from some 16 countries are roasted every Sunday to optimum levels of taste.

The second section, named “Cult Coffee & Coffee in Good Spirit,” serves both signature coffee drinks from the world’s largest coffee hubs such as Melbourne and San Francisco, and coffee-based alcoholic drinks such as the Ethiopian Monkey (hot mocha with Creme de menthe), Brazilian Godfather (iced mocha with bourbon and navy rum) and the Dirty Orgasm (dopper with Kahlua and Creme de Cacao).

The final section, dubbed the “Satan Coffee Corner”, features a different selection of six types of single-origin coffee beans each week. Here, customers are also taught the coffee brewing methods to ensure that their coffee will taste good at home.