
The coffee bar guys in the employee cafeteria know their stuff. You want it black, no sugar, no cream? No sooner said than done -- they'll set a steaming mug of fresh roast right on the counter, just for you. Slap down a five-spot and they'll make a cappuccino to order, with the whipped cream and cinnamon to boot. Tea? You bet. And do they know espresso? How silly of you to ask.
Their drink-making prowess goes further than the chalkboard sign above the bar is long, and that's saying a lot. I counted a dozen types of drinks before I gave up counting. Yet for all their knowledge, there's a drink that only a select few know how to make. It's rarely ordered, and justifiably, because it's not on the menu. More so, because it's killed the odd summer intern or two over the years.
Although the exact formulation is not known (nor are we permitted to divulge that information, on our lawyers' orders), the beverage is essentially this: strong black tea brewed in a cup of steaming black coffee, with two shots of fresh espresso stirred in.
We call it "The Nightmare," because after one of those, you sure aren't sleeping.