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Oct 23
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The Analytics Of Autumn: The 2019 Build-Outs Of Summer By The Numbers

By Analytics of Autumn, Beachcomber, Build-Outs Of Summer, Cafes, cartel coffee, curtis, Featured, Fetco, intelligentsia, K30, KB90, La Marzocco Linea, Mahlkonig EK43, Mazzer Major, modbar av, Nuova Simonelli Mythos, Peak, Pilot, Prototype, Slayer Steam, Synesso MVP Hydra, The Meteor, Virgin Islands Coffee

The Build-Outs of Summer Season Seven is officially behind us. But even still, the Thrill of the Build shines brightly in the rearview, reflecting a small glimmer of warmth as we head full steam into the colder months. And so too do we reflect upon all that transpired, crunching numbers and finding trends for the Analytics of Autumn, our yearly wrap-up of our summer series.

This is our fourth year of making competely-justified-but-not-at-all-justified statements about the state of specialty coffee as told by the Build-Outs of Summer. And while it’s ostensibly difficult to claim that 40 cafes who didn’t even exist until a few months ago represent the totality of a global industry, there is nonetheless a lot of truth to be gleaned from them. As we’ve stated previously, the Build-Outs of Summer is an opportunity for owners to give an unfiltered account of what they want their cafes to be, regardless of how well they are able to live up to the standard they are trying to achieve. These are the cafes at their most aspirational. We are given a direct line to the Platonic ideal of the specialty coffee shop in 2019; the Greek philosophers would be green with envy.

What we’ve found this year bolsters claims from previous years. It’s as if there’s a trend or something. So let’s take a deep dive into the numbers and see what we can glean from the 2019 Analytics of Autumn: A Brief Reprise For The Build-Outs Of Summer, Who Went Away, But For Very Good Seasons.

Who’s Building Out

We saw a total of 40 entries in the 2019 Build-Outs of Summer, but unlike previous seasons, this year’s participants came solely from North America (come on, Europe, Asia, and Central and South America, what gives?!). Only four—Beachcomber, Prototype, Pilot, and Virgin Islands Coffee—came from outside the continental United States. Entries this year have a fairly even geographical spread, with 16 shops in the East, 13 in the center part of the continent, and 11 in the West.

Whereas previous years have told the story of good coffee happening anywhere—which it can and still very much does—this year’s Build-Outs is all about the big cities, the established players continuing their coffee dominance. For every Albuquerque or Cranston, there’s a New York City or Houston; in fact, exactly half of the 40 entries this year came from top 20 US cities by population (this includes Toronto, whose population would put them in the top five were they an American city).

But despite the ever-so-slight western bent this year, the cities with the most entries into the Build-Outs of Summer this year are Los Angeles (again) with four and Austin with three. These two cities share a similar arc in their coffee scene’s evolution; both are places coffee brands want to be. Of the three Austin cafes featured, two—Cartel Coffee and The Meteor—are from already existing brands making a move into the Texas state capitol (to say nothing of Intelligentsia’s recent cafe opening in ATX).

The Roasting Boom

Following last year’s trend of everyone wanting to roast, it turns out everyone still wants to roast. 28 out of the 40 coffee companies featured this year, a whopping 70%, roast their own coffee. Using even the most lenient definition of “multi-roaster”—having more than one roaster at a given time—only four of the remaining 12 cafes could rightfully fall under that moniker, all of them coffee companies opening their first location.

While the rise of the roaster accompanied by the continued decline of the multi-roaster follows what we have seen coming over the past few seasons of Build-Outs, what’s new for this year exactly how these roasters are plotting their growth. The roasting ilk breaks down evenly between those opening their first cafe and those now with locations, plural, and of the 14 first-timers, eight have been operating as wholesale-only accounts long before finally deciding to open a storefront of their own. The overwhelming theme we are seeing this year is companies focusing on steady growth over ambitious expansion.

The Year In Gear

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but the La Marzocco Linea tops the list as most used espresso machine for the Builders this year. 14 of the 37 cafes using espresso machines opted for the Linea, 10 more than the machines tied for second, the KB90 and the Modbar AV (both members of the LM family). Including Modbar cafes, a total 25 shops use some model of La Marzocco espresso machine. The Synesso MVP Hydra and Slayer Steam were the two most used non-LM machines with three and two, respectively.

And if you want some more not-at-all breaking news, the Mahlkönig EK43 is still everyone’s favorite grinder. 18 of the 53 total grinders named, a total of 34%, are EKs. Like with La Marzocco in the espresso machine category, the second most used grinders are also Mahlkönig products, the K30 and PEAK, both of which had seven. 64% of the grinders mentioned in the 2019 Build-Outs of Summer were made by Mahlkönig. The most used non-King of Grinders were the Nuova Simonelli Mythos (both One and Two) and the Mazzer Major, both with five.

Hand-brew coffee continues its steady decline for Build-Outs cafes. This is not to say pour-over coffee it losing favor, but actual manually brewed coffee may be going the way of the multi-roaster. Overall, 16 of the 27 shops that discussed their filter options (13 didn’t even mention anything; take that for what it’s worth) have some pour-over option on their menu, but only five make any mention of actual, brewed-by-hand coffee. In general, we found folks more eager to discuss which model of FETCO or Curtis batch brewer they were using than any particulars about pour-over brew methods.

What Does It All Mean?

If there’s one grand theme that prevailed in the 2019 Build-Outs of Summer, it is how close it hewed to what we saw in 2018. Cafe owners want their spaces to be approachable and community focused. Respondents would much rather talk about how they want to be inclusive and a place for all than they would about how they are chockablock with the freshest gear. As we saw last year—and can now say more conclusively—the gear arms race is over. At least for now.

How folks talk about their new projects seems to signify a shift in how cafes want to identify themselves as amongst the ranks of the specialty world. Folks used to signal their bona fides by talking about what gear they had or how many different roasters they would be bringing in; now being a specialty cafe by and large means having a more social focus. The shift makes sense, especially when you consider the current political environment much of the world currently finds itself in. It wasn’t but five or six years ago when you could walk into a shop, see a Linea, an EK, or five different roasters, and know that place was “legit”. Of course, those things don’t actually necessitate that the cafe was in fact any good, only that they were aware of this broadly nascent thing called “specialty coffee.” But with the democratization of information, specialty coffee’s secret handshake became the formula for those looking to “cash in” on the hot new trend (only to realize any cashing in would be purely figurative).

And as specialty coffee evolved, a rejection of the old schema became the new calling card. What’s old is new again. Whereas coffee shops once wanted to be science labs where you waxed academic about a beverage you’ve consumed everyday of your life but are just now truly tasting for the first time, coffee shops are returning to the hangout spots, the place where everybody knows your name and your drink order.

In 2019, it’s deeply uncool to only drink espresso or consume exclusively hand-brewed v60s of fresh crop Kenya AAs. What’s cool now is broadening the pool of specialty coffee drinkers. What’s cool is espousing the virtues of the peoples’ drinks. It’s expressing unabashed and unironic love for the best damn iced vanilla oat milk latte you’ve ever had. In 2019, specialty coffee has, in a lot of ways, gotten over itself.

Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.

The post The Analytics Of Autumn: The 2019 Build-Outs Of Summer By The Numbers appeared first on Sprudge.


Source: Coffee News

Sep 21
Love0

Build-Outs Of Summer: Taproom Coffee & Beer/Ground Floor Coffee In Atlanta, GA

By acaia, atlanta, Build-Outs Of Summer, Cafes, East Pole Coffee Co., Featured, Fetco, Flags of Origin, Flik Independent School Dining, georgia, ground floor coffee co, La Marzocco Linea, Mahlkonig EK43, MJO Studios, mount vernon, North America, Nuova Simonelli Mythos One Clima-Pro, Places, puqpress, taproom coffee & beer, USA, View Dynamic Glass

ground floor coffee atlanta georgia

We’ve seen cafes in just about everywhere here on the Build-Outs of Summer, or at least we thought we had until today. In Atlanta, Taproom Coffee & Beer has teamed up with Mount Vernon Presbyterian School to put a coffee shop INSIDE THE SCHOOL. It’s called Ground Floor Coffee and it’s my dream come true, if but a few decades too late.

After working with Mount Vernon for various class projects, Taproom Coffee had the opportunity to pitch the administration on the idea of installing a full-service coffee bar, an idea that was “student-initiated;” even the name Ground Floor was created by one of the students. In the end, Mount Vernon agreed and now they are definitely the coolest high school around, at least based on any coffee-based metrics. At Ground Floor, they are creating the next generation of coffee consumer, and making me extremely jealous in the process.

The 2019 Build-Outs of Summer is presented by Pacific Barista Series, notNeutral, KeepCup, and Mill City Roasters.

As told to Sprudge by Jonathan Pascual.

For those who aren’t familiar, will you tell us about your company?

We’ve had the original location of Taproom Coffee & Beer since 2014. Like a lot of other coffee companies, we strive for excellence in coffee quality and customer service. We are proud to have been there at the start of East Pole Coffee Co. (their founder, Jared Karr, was one of our baristas for our first two years of operation), and they have been our core coffee roasting partner ever since. Our main location juggles the identity of both coffee bar and draft beer bar (the draft tower is an old four-group Linea shell!) and now we’ve opened a new store with a completely different concept.

ground floor coffee atlanta georgia

Can you tell us a bit about the new space?

Our new location is housed in the Upper School building of Mount Vernon, a private educational institution in the Atlanta area with over 1,000 students from 700+ families. The coffee bar is in the same building where high schoolers go to class, and right next to the cafeteria where students and faculty eat lunch. The coffee bar serves the campus community, so only students, parents, and Mount Vernon employees are able to purchase drinks at the coffee bar.

I had the opportunity to work with a handful of Mount Vernon students on a class project where they explored the idea of placing a full espresso bar in their new high school building. Over two years, I periodically visited their class and did mini-lessons on the coffee industry, cost of goods, profit/loss, and what equipment works best in an espresso bar. Those students also came to Taproom to see a specialty coffee shop in operation, and to talk through how they could apply the concept to their school. They ended up pitching the idea to the school administration, and when it came time for their new school building to break ground, they pulled the trigger and put the espresso bar in the official plans! So this was student-initiated, and is ultimately for the benefit of Mount Vernon students. They named it “Ground Floor Coffee Co.” because students were in on the project “from the ground floor” and because of where the coffee bar is in the building.

We realize this is a unique thing to have in a high school, and we’re really excited to explore possibilities of leveraging Taproom’s presence for really creative educational experiences. Students could do work internships with us, we could be a testing ground for graphic design projects, and we could help fund student scholarships or at least contribute annual financial donations to the school. The doors are really wide open!

What’s your approach to coffee?

Just like with Taproom, we want customers at Ground Floor to experience approachable, consistent, high-quality specialty coffee. Even though students will probably order more smoothies than cappuccinos, we’re still maintaining our company standards of espresso training and technique, and we will happily engage in conversations about sourcing, process, roasting, and brewing. When you think about it, we’re actively cultivating the next generation of coffee consumers—the high school students we serve are forming habits and concepts of specialty coffee that will carry through to their college years and the rest of adulthood. With an on-campus espresso bar and daily interaction with our baristas, they’re getting four years of indirect specialty coffee education.

ground floor coffee atlanta georgia

Any machines, coffees, special equipment lined up?

From our pop-up test run that we did last year, we knew that students would swarm a coffee bar before school and during lunch. To handle the volume, we installed a three-group La Marzocco Linea AV. We’ve also got a Nuova Simonelli Mythos One Clima Pro, Puqpress, Mahlkönig EK43, FETCO brewer, and Acaia scales, which is all the same setup we have running at Taproom. We have a sizable kegerator and are kegging and pouring “Nitro Flash” (our flash-brewed nitro iced coffee) alongside “Nitropical” (our nitro-infused tropical hibiscus iced tea). We’re still partnering with East Pole Coffee Co. for all of our coffee used in espresso, bulk drip, and nitro iced coffee.

How is your project considering sustainability?

Our open area of the Mount Vernon Upper School building is surrounded by intelligent smart View Dynamic Glass. This glass monitors outdoor temperature, seasons, and cloud cover to tint to the most favorable environment for learning and sustainability. All of our hot cups are made from recycled paper through Georgette Packaging. Our straws for cold drinks are 100% compostable corn plastic. Mount Vernon students have reimagined the School’s sustainability efforts during the construction of the new building launching a new campaign around the words Reclaim, Restore, and Recover.

ground floor coffee atlanta georgia

What’s your hopeful target opening date/month?

The opening of our new location coincided with the start of the new school year on August 13.

Are you working with craftspeople, architects, and/or creatives that you’d like to mention?

Mount Vernon has partnered with many innovative companies including View Dynamic Glass in Silicon Valley, the creative and talented makers and carvers from MJO Studios in Asheville, North Carolina, and Flik Independent School Dining. Joshua Charles, Creative Director at Flags of Origin, crafted the interior design of the entire building, furnishing the spaces with pieces from Hay, Bend Goods, Industry West, VS America, and West Elm. There are large-scale murals hand-painted by Chris Sturdivant. This new and unique Upper School building pushes all the limits of what school can look like.

Thank you!

You’re welcome!

ground floor coffee atlanta georgia

Taproom Coffee & Beer/Ground Floor Coffee Co. is located at 510 Mount Vernon Highway, Sandy Springs. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The Build-Outs Of Summer is an annual series on Sprudge. Live the thrill of the build all summer long in our Build-Outs feature hub.

Photos by Rikki Hagerty and Sarah Eaves

The post Build-Outs Of Summer: Taproom Coffee & Beer/Ground Floor Coffee In Atlanta, GA appeared first on Sprudge.


Source: Coffee News

Sep 11
Love0

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti!

By Amsterdam, Cafes, Choux, Clavelin, De Marsen, De School, Featured, Friedhats, FUKU, Goede Vissers, la marzocco linea pb, moccamaster, netherlands, Noordermarkt, Oud-West, Pauline Jacob, Roast Masters, Scandinavian Embassy, Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti, UK & Europe, White Label Coffee, Winestories, Zuiver Wijnen

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

If Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti is too much of a mouthful, consider calling this new Amsterdam venue what the three owners sometimes do: De Schuur. That’s shorthand for Schuurman, which is one of the founders’ surnames—though it also means “the shed” in Dutch. Its usage is telling—natives of the Netherlands tend to err on the side of humble.

Located on a bright corner in the neighborhood of Oud-West, Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti serves coffee, wine, and, as its website summarizes, “creative plates to share.” It is hardly a shed. Standards-wise and aspirations-wise, it is more like a cathedral. Not that the buttresses fly, not that the glass is stained, but the values are lofty, the service is elevated, and the flavors are sublime. If the coffee—all of which comes from specialty roaster and brother business White Label Coffee—is the altar around which the enterprise was built, then the wines, all-natural, are its flickering votive candles. In this case, patrons sip their succor.

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

As to how Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti emerged, it was, to paraphrase the Bible and Bob Marley, a stone that Barry Schuurman rejected that became the cornerstone. Schuurman had worked at White Label for over three years, handling cafe operations, wholesale deliveries, and training. He was the first full-time employee and proved so endearing to his bosses, Elmer Oomkens and Francesco Grassotti, that when they considered expanding, they offered him a raise or a stake in the company.

Meanwhile, it had always been “a bit of a dream to have my own place,” Schuurman says. “But at White Label, the job was just amazing—it was really nice, always—so the dream kind of went, let’s just say, on a little back road again.” Yet when “we kinda just started talking about how things were going really well and we just wanted to do a bit more,” he explains, it was time to take what “seemed the most logical step.”

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

Grassotti, Oomkens, Schuurman

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti opened in January. In this venture, the three partners are equal. Schuurman plays down his position in their co-authored byline, but the ordering “was quite natural,” says Oomkens, adding: “Barry is like the main man here.” Schuurman, who left White Label altogether, works six days a week at Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti, managing daily operations and, like Oomkens and Grassotti, taking shifts behind the bar.

White Label is to Dutch specialty coffee what Nirvana is to early 90s Seattle rock: not necessarily the scene’s pioneers, but the group with the most impact, quickly winning over purists and piggybackers alike. When Sprudge interviewed Oomkens and Grassotti in 2015, their Amsterdam micro-roastery was a bit over a year old though very much in bloom. Both were relatively new to specialty coffee, and branding themselves as brandless—a white label—was part memo, part mantra to maintain “a clean, open-minded state,” Grassotti had said. Oomkens chimed in, elaborating: “Francesco came up with that. It’s just the unwritten-piece-of-paper idea, something that’s open, not bothered with prejudgments.”

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

A half-decade later, White Label’s wholesale, nationwide and international, is a big enough undertaking to have spilled out of the back of their cafe and into a rented ex-classroom at Amsterdam’s nightclub-cum-cultural complex De School. In March, White Label participated in the first-ever Roast Masters; even though Oomkens and Grassotti “don’t really believe in the competition,” as the former says, and disapprove of its requisite espresso blending, they did not hold back their three eager staff roasters from competing—and they won.

Despite or perhaps because of all the successes so far, setting up a shop this time around, with Schuurman, they had a clear vision. “It was obvious that we just [didn’t] want another coffee place,” states Oomkens. They definitely wanted natural wines and warmed to the incorporation of a kitchen.

This past spring, the wine list at Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti had no fewer than a couple dozen entries. Categorized as sparkling, white, orange, and red wines, along with a few under beer and cider, all are sold by the bottle and half come by the glass as well. Oomkens credits Figo van Onno, owner and sommelier of Amsterdam restaurant Choux for originally turning him and his colleagues onto natural wines. Nowadays Van Onno, under the name Zuiver Wijnen, is one of three importers that Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti’s own in-house wine coordinator, Eefje Slabbekoorn, relies on; Clavelin and Winestories are the others.

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

For drinkers seeking more lift than lull, however, there’s no shortage of coffee. Espresso shots are pulled on a three-group La Marzocco Linea PB. All the filter coffee—of which there is an extensive menu, columnized as “nutty and chocolaty” or “bright and fruity”—is prepared with a Moccamaster. The classic Dutch brewer’s Jubileum ‘68 models complement the surroundings’ light-touch mid-century modern design, but Oomkens notes that the choice to use the machines there and at White Label was foremost flavor-driven.

Breakfast, bar snacks, and lunch are available daily; dinner is currently served all nights but Monday. The menu changes according to seasonal availability.

“We’re trying to approach it the same way we approach the wines and the coffee,” says Schuurman. “Being food, the ability or the chances to source it locally are a lot bigger than with coffee.”

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

Meats come from De Marsen, a nature reserve north of Amsterdam, and fish from the Goede Vissers stall at the city’s Saturday Noordermarkt. French chef Pauline Jacob currently leads the kitchen with precision and panache. On a recent visit, her team demonstrated how alluring and affordable vegetarian meals can be. Just 25.50 Euros covered three delicious dishes: a medley of mushrooms and potatoes garnished with seaweed and wild garlic butter; a warm bean salad with radishes and vermouth-vinaigretted baby gem lettuce; and for dessert, a buckwheat pudding in a lemon-verbena syrup, all topped with a dollop of dill hangop, candied buckwheat, and rhubarb.

It should be noted that Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti is not the only good food and wine spot to have arisen from or in adjacency to specialty coffee. Scandinavian Embassy was an early host of coffee dinner parties, and spawned cafe/wine bar/restaurant 4850. Fellow Amsterdam micro-roasters Friedhats’ new flagship, FUKU, is among several specialty cafes licensed to sell alcohol and choosing to go au naturel. The Dutch capital is waking up to natural wine.

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands

Still, an attribute that sets Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti apart is its accessibility. The staff has a uniquely personable mix of humility and knowledge-sharing generosity. This trait was also observable by Schuurman on first making acquaintance with his employers, back when he was a customer hanging out after work and on weekends at his local coffee bar, White Label.

“That’s what always appealed to me so much about White Label, that it’s not snobby. A lot of times in specialty coffee now as well for me, it tends to become really snobby, like you have to be someone to be able to enjoy this,” he says.

Schuurman maintains the same outlook today, from the other side of the counter.

“What really drives me is the service towards people,” he emphasizes. “No matter what background you have, no matter how much you know about coffee or how little you know about coffee—the same goes for wine—in my eyes, everyone should be able to come here and enjoy it and get something that they like.”

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti amsterdam netherlands
Call it Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti, call it De Schuur (there is, in fact, a small wooden shed in the backyard used for storage). Whatever you call it, know that coffee, wine, and food are united here in a way that is bold and surprising yet totally welcoming. For Amsterdam, this is a holy revelation in the coffee-wine-food revolution.

Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti is located at Overtoom 558, Amsterdam. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

Karina Hof is a Sprudge staff writer based in Amsterdam. Read more Karina Hof on Sprudge. 

The post Schuurmanoomkensgrassotti! appeared first on Sprudge.


Source: Coffee News

Sep 03
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The Sprudge Coffee Guide To Washington, DC

By A Baked Joint, Brandywine Coffee Roasters, Cafes, chemex, city guide, coava coffee roasters, Colony Club, counter culture, dc, district of columbia, Featured, Fox Loves Taco, Guides, Heart Coffee Roasters, Kalita Wave, Kintsugi Cafe, madcap coffee, Passenger Coffee, peregrine espresso, red rooster coffee, Sey Coffee, slayer, Slipstream, Small Planes Coffee, the coffee bar, The Wydown Coffee Bar, Tryst, washington, Washington DC

Washington, DC is a complicated city, the capital of a complicated country. But despite what lore may tell you—it’s not all politicians, diplomats, and monuments here. Indeed, it’s a thriving city with no shortage of diverse food, and more recently, coffee options. Whatever your pleasure, DC’s coffee scene has grown into a landscape where anyone of any leaning can find the right drink in the right place. Here are some of the options.

washington dc coffee guide

Slipstream

A comfortably hip coffee and cocktail bar, Slipsteam is the perfect place to grab a light meal, a pick-me-up, or a nightcap. Dimly lit and sleek in design, the busy pace of this cafe is betrayed by its intimate feeling. The folks at Slipstream aim to make specialty coffee accessible to everyone. The coffee menu is clear and concise, divided into four distinct categories: Comfort, Bright, Fruit, and Floral. Madcap Coffee provides the house beans and additional guest roasters appear on the shelves frequently. Expect the clientele to be hunched over laptops during the first half of the day and having lively conversations in the evenings.

Slipstream has multiple locations throughout Washington, DC. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

washington dc coffee guide

Colony Club

Capitalizing on cool, the Colony Club is an inviting coffee and cocktail bar with room to stretch out. The space itself is long and thin but boasts a second floor as well as ample outdoor seating. Most of the tables are communal which allows a more social experience than many modern coffeehouses. Sey Coffee fuels the batch brew and Heart Coffee Roasters the espresso. Pour-overs are available via Kalita Wave, or get a Chemex to share. If you’re a ping pong enthusiast, you’ll be happy to find a table upstairs for your enjoyment. Vibrant, energetic, and youthful, those lucky enough to live near the Colony Club have a stellar way to start and end their day.

Colony Club is located at 3118 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

 

washington dc coffee guide

Fox Loves Taco

Earning points for having the best combination of things ever, Fox Loves Taco is a cafe with solid coffee and delectable tacos on the menu (featured here as part of Sprudge’s Build-Outs of Summer). Located by the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, this cafe offers its own divine experience.

washington dc coffee guide

The coffee program features Coava Coffee Roasters and Brandywine Coffee Roasters. The space is bright and cozy, and as makes perfect sense for an espresso bar/taqueria—is also shared with a bike shop. Sipping on an espresso while enjoying a smoked tofu taco will make you feel as warm and fuzzy as the shop’s namesake.

Fox Loves Taco is located at 716 Monroe St NE in Washington, DC. Check out their official website and find them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

 

washington dc coffee guide

Peregrine Espresso

Considered by many to be the area standard, Peregrine Espresso carries the torch of Washington, DC coffee culture in a steady hand. The company was born from a cafe love story and since 2008 the married owners have grown the business to three cafes and a sister roasting company, Small Planes Coffee, whose coffee is served in many of the surrounding coffeehouses. If you need a good cup of coffee and Peregrine Espresso is nearby, know that you are in good hands at any Peregrine location.

Peregrine Espresso has multiple locations around Washington, DC. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

washington dc coffee guide

The Coffee Bar

As the coffee industry grows and changes, many are trying to shed the image of the surly barista. It sounds like a small thing, but bad customer service can make even the best of coffees taste sour, which is why The Coffee Bar’s friendly staff struck me. They greeted patrons with a smile and were engaged throughout each interaction. Their Shaw area cafe is eclectic and bright, full of reclaimed artifacts and whimsical decorations. A multi-roaster cafe that features up to four roasters at a time, those who frequent The Coffee Bar are unlikely to get bored.

The Coffee Bar has multiple locations around Washington, DC. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

washington dc coffee guide

A Baked Joint

High-energy A Baked Joint is a serious bakery with a serious coffee program. A spinoff of popular DC cupcake-and-coffee spot Baked & Wired, A Baked Joint is an experience all its own. The focus on food (there’s a full bread menu, along with breakfast, lunch, and pizza) is well met by a slate of quality coffee drinks, which includes a selection of boozy buzzes as well. The space is big, with tables and standing counters near the front and a comfy lounge area toward the back. It’s hard to pigeonhole the vibe of A Baked Joint, but you’ll find this place bouncing at all hours.

A Baked Joint is located at 440 K St NW, Washington, DC. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

 

washington dc coffee guide

Kintsugi Cafe

If you’re looking for a beautiful experience for both your eyes and your palate, this hotel cafe should be your next stop. Named after the art of repairing broken pottery with gold-infused lacquer, Kintsugi pays homage to creation through destruction. The design is sleek, with accents of black, gold, and polished wood—echoed in the Slayer espresso machine on the counter. Coffee is provided by Red Rooster Coffee of nearby Virginia. Treating yourself to an espresso here will make you feel both elegant and hip.

Kintsugi Cafe is located at 1201 K St NW 1st Floor, Washington, DC. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

 

washington dc coffee guide

Tryst

Known as DC’s living room, this 20-year-old institution has seen many a dissertation written, cured numerous hangovers, and been a home away from home to countless people. This huge, packed cafe is loaded with comfy couches and easy chairs, numerous laptops, animated conversations, and Counter Culture Coffee. Coffeehouses like this awaken long-forgotten desires to be a member of the Friends crew at Central Perk—but in DC, and real life. Equal parts cafe, restaurant, and bar, Tryst has all your needs covered.

Tryst is located at 2459 18th St NW, Washington, DC. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.

 

washington dc coffee guide

The Wydown Coffee Bar

Beautifully designed, hospitality-driven, and perpetually bustling, The Wydown Coffee Bar on 14th Street seems to be everyone’s pet favorite coffee shop. From the line out to the sidewalk, you might assume that a small coffee counter hides behind its doors, but inside you’ll find multiple baristas manning pour-over stations, dual espresso machines, and an appetizing spread of pastries. This multi-roaster cafe features Passenger Coffee Roasters and is quick and efficient. If you are lucky enough to find a seat, the people-watching is superb.

The Wydown Coffee Bar has multiple locations around Washington, DC. Visit their official website and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Eric Tessier is a freelance journalist based in Providence, RI. Read more Eric Tessier on Sprudge.

The post The Sprudge Coffee Guide To Washington, DC appeared first on Sprudge.


Source: Coffee News

Aug 23
Love0

Stumptown Coffee Debuts A New Short Film And A Fresh, New Bag Design

By Britton Caillouette, Design, ethiopia, Farm League, Featured, Mulatu Astatke, stumptown coffee roasters, Wax & Gold, Zachary Marvick

Stumptown Coffee Roasters out of Portland, Oregon launches its second film in collaboration with Los Angeles-based film company Farm League this month. The film, Wax & Gold, is a 20-minute short, directed by Britton Caillouette, and filmed in Ethiopia featuring the music of jazz artist Mulatu Astatke. The film is being released alongside whole bean and cold brew offerings of Stumptown Coffee’s Ethiopia Mordecofe, produced by Haile Gebre. Gebre is featured prominently in the film.

Mordecofe has been a longtime whole-bean coffee staple at Stumptown and this year, in celebration of Wax & Gold, has been given a fresh, new look along with a limited run cold brew. Proceeds of coffee sales will benefit Mulatu Astatke’s Jazz School in Addis Ababa.

The bag’s design, inspired by the colors and art of Ethiopia, was created by Stumptown Coffee resident artist Zachary Marvick.

Check out the trailer for Wax & Gold below: