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The One Where We Went West (and Drank All the Coffee)
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We recently packed up and headed out west for a little fun, and yes, we brought our own Big E coffee along (we travel with it just in case, because...why drink bad coffee when you can drink good coffee). But part of the joy of exploring is finding the good local roasters doing their thing, so we made a point to find places along our journey and here are three shops we think were really awesome.
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First stop, Electric Fountain Brewing in Quincy Illinois. Big E went with a pour over and I ordered a cold brew. These folks are small-batch roasters through and through, all about ethically sourced beans and building a genuine coffee community one cup at a time, and you can taste that care in what they pour. Clean, thoughtful coffee and exactly the kind of place that makes you want to sit a while and stay caffeinated. The shop was adorable and they roastery was across the river. No time to stop in for a tour. But if you find yourself out their way, do yourself a favor and stop in.
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Next up was Solar Coffee, or Solar Roast as you'll see them called, they roast their beans with actual sunshine. As in, they built the world's first (and only) commercial solar-powered coffee roaster, tucked into Pueblo, Colorado where they've got sunshine to spare. That low, combustion-free heat makes for a noticeably smoother cup. Again, no time for a roastery tour but it sure would have been cool. Big E ordered... a pour over. And I ordered... a cold brew. (sensing a theme?) We are nothing if not consistent. They won me over with coffee names like Zeus and Apollo and their cafe (even the bathroom) was filled with lots of eclectic and beautiful art.
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And then there was Peregrine Coffee in Westcliffe, which turned into the highlight of the whole trip. This one sits at nearly 8,000 feet up in the Colorado mountains, "born in Colorado and raised in Texas" as they put it, and they treat coffee like a real pilgrimage with single origins, barrel-aged lots, and craftsmanship you can feel. Big E went off-script with an iced americano, and me? Cold brew, obviously. The owner happened to be in, and we got to chat with him for a while and even peek at their old roaster (they do most of their roasting down in Texas now). We could not leave empty-handed, so we picked up the Joel Marin Mires's Natural Gesha, Nestor's Bourbon Aji Thermal Shock, and a gorgeous milk glass mug that I am kind of in love with. And as we were leaving I mentioned my love of dark beans, the owner was kind enough to toss in a bag of their Dark Skies to send us on our way.
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We love our Big E coffee, so much that we travel with it just in case. But we also love getting out there, exploring new places, and finding the good local coffee wherever the road takes us. Support your small roasters, friends. We sure do.
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And one last note, the purpose of our trip was in part to explore and in part to visit family in Denver, but also to experience a dark sky, in Westcliffe, CO and to see the Milky Way. We borrowed a camera and took some photos. It was stunning. Here are a few photos we took.
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Our next roast is coming up and the order cutoff this Friday September 18 at 11:59 PM.
Delivery will be Monday Sept. 21st.
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