Chicago: Local Roasters Set The Bar

[caption id="attachment_281" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Threatening sky over Ohio[/caption]

It's a fourteen hour drive to Chicago. Usually it's quite monotonous and uneventful but Summer storms made it a bit more challenging. At one point we had to pull over as the sky seemed to be preparing to chase us with a funnel cloud. Fortunately, we made it through the driving rain and wind in one piece.

Summer in Chicago creates that perfect city.... full of culture and great restaurants, a killer lake front and friendly people with Mid-Western values. My visit was mostly visiting family which left little time for coffee exploration. And yet even though I hardly scratched the surface, I had some great coffee experiences. My various tastings revolved around local roasters... each shop I visited gave me a chance to try a different local selection. I came away with a new-found admiration for these artisanal producers and the city that inspires them.

-Overflow Coffee Bar

Brandon and Amanda Neely's coffee shop business model is not your typical for profit enterprise. They believe in giving profits back to the community for non-profit activities and promote fair-labor and enviornmentally-friendly practices. The Neelys are extremely welcoming and gracious coffee hosts. Their coffee comes from Coffee Ambassadors (Ipsento), who pay at least 25% over fair-trade minimums. The coffee was pleasant enough, I had a drip from Honduras that had nice fruit undertones. The shop is located in the South Loop, an area of the city that is rapidly developing but with only a few coffee options, making Overflow an oasis for travelers and locals alike.

[caption id="attachment_261" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Overflow Coffee[/caption]

-Passion House

[caption id="attachment_260" align="aligncenter" width="336"] Raspberries at Evanston Farmers' Market[/caption]

On Saturday I went to the Evanston Farmers' Market. While quite pricy, the produce was gorgeous. Local Michigan cherries, Portobello mushrooms, amazing tomatoes line the farmers' booths. Tucked away in a corner, Passion House Roaster and Green Buyer Shannon Steele-Knuckles was serving fresh coffee. I bought a cup but didn't introduce myself (I was with family). I regretted not doing so and later messaged them on Twitter offering my apologies. Shannon immediately invited me to their Tuesday cupping. I jumped at the offer.

[caption id="attachment_262" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Cupping at Passion House Roasters[/caption]

Passion House is a small operation. There are only four employees, Shannon, Joshua, Brian and John. I arrived just after 9:00 am to find all four gathered around a small table setting up six different roasts. As soon as I arrived the cupping began. After going through the steps, dry smell, breaking the crust and tasting, I was asked to start each round of discussion as I was the week's guest taster. I was quite nervous about vocalizing my impressions. Truth be told it was my third cupping and didn't feel qualified to lead-off the discussions. I had little to fear. Not only did my years of experience tasting wine assist in my evaluations, but my hosts were very kind and helpful. We went through selections from Ethiopia, Brazil, and El Salvador, as well as a selection for Four Barrel out of San Francisco. These guys are very serious about what they do and honest in their assessments. It really clarified the art and passion that goes into making the best roast possible so that the coffee's expression sings in the cup. Just before I left I was given a bottle of their wonderful iced Brasil, Cambara Estate. Now if they only had a t-shirt my bling bag would have been complete. :)

[caption id="attachment_263" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Wormhole Coffee[/caption]

-Wormhole Coffee

Wormhole is tiny and dark.... imagine hanging out in a friend's basement (with windows). There's a small bar with a few stools to watch the baristas work their magic. Some tables and comfortable sofas and chairs populate the rest of the space. As soon as you walk in you are greeted by a friendly barista happily curating the great house selections made by their own house roasted "Halfwit" as well as a rotating guest roaster program. After asking me a few questions, the barista recommended the Halfwit Mexican "Santa Teresa" using a V 60 pour over to extract the best brew possible. What a fine brew it was! I can't stress enough how at home the baristas made me feel. They obviously love what they do and their passion for coffee is infectious. I was told by a number of coffee buddies that Wormhole is one of the best in Chicago and, in my opinion, their advice is spot on.

-Brothers K Coffeehouse

[caption id="attachment_271" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Brothers K Coffeehouse[/caption]

Although Brothers K isn't technically in Chicago, the city of Evanston is right basically an extension of the metropolis. Ironically, they serve local roaster Metropolis as their house pour. Brothers K is a nice coffeehouse and a local favorite, located right there on Main Street. During the warmer weather (yes Chicago has quite a few of those days), it's a great destination to sit and people watch or just chill after buying some cool stuff at Dave's Rock Shop a few blocks away. This is arguably the best destination for a really good cup in a small town that doesn't have a lot of choices.

Next Week: Madison, Wisconsin

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Overflow Coffee: http://overflowcoffeebar.org

Coffee Ambassadors: http://www.coffeeambassadors.com

Passion House Coffee Roasters: http://passionhousecoffee.com

Half Wit Coffee Roasters: http://www.halfwitcoffee.com

Wormhole Coffee: http://www.thewormhole.us

Brothers K Coffeehouse: http://www.brotherskcoffee.com