Jake’s Brew Bar, Littleton CO

Barista Matt (GREAT guy!) Hand-labeling Jake’s to-go cups.

Who gets to hold the baby?

Looking onto Main Street, Littleton, CO

In honor of Jake.

Isn’t it great to be local?

Jake’s Brew Bar … is a “brew” bar serving brewed coffee and brewed beer!  Clever, eh?  They have been open about 12 months, and today have tons of business walking through the doors in the revitalized Main Street of Downtown Littleton, Colorado.

Barista Matt was gracious from the moment I walked in the door, offering a friendly smile with a kind demeanor.  He made me feel at home for the afternoon I spent in the front window writing and blogging.

They have chosen two different local roasters as their coffee vendors: Novo Coffee and Corvus Coffee; both are well respected roasters in Colorado.

Some coffeehouses are heavy on one type of customer or the other; you may see mostly students or a lot of artists.  This place seemed to draw a nice blend of the community with folks chatting with each other comparing qualities of local craft beer and a few folks sitting at their computers sending last minute emails on a Friday afternoon.

Jake’s was named after the owner’s father, Jacob Barth.  He is from Albuquerque, NM and served in the Army during of WWII.  Owners, Janie and her daughter, Vanessa, also own a wine bar around the corner off of Main St. called Katie’s ~ named after her mother.

It is a family affair!  Step in during the Western Welcome Week coming up this summer.

Luvin’ local, Lisa

Jake’s Brew Bar

2540 W. Main Street

Littleton, CO 80120

(303) 996-1006

http://www.jakesbrewbar.com

Kauai Coffee: A visit with Hanalei Coffee and Tea Company by Eddie

 

Green (unripe) Coffee Cherries in Hanalei, HI

An exclusive post by Ed with Seattle Coffee Scene (thanks, Eddie!)

When I think of Kauai, I think of sunshine, beautiful sandy beaches, and… chickens. Yup, chickens! If you’ve never been to this Hawaiian island, you’d be amused at seeing so many chickens running around everywhere- from the beaches, to city parking lots – to coffee shops.

Many of you probably already know that Hawaii is the only state in the United States that actually cultivates coffee, which isn’t the only reason why I’m here. (Since I’m from Seattle, the truth is that there really isn’t a better place in the U.S. for me to replenish my annual intake of Vitamin D.)

But let’s talk Hawaiian coffee. When it comes to the Hawaiian bean, the weather, the rich volcanic soil, and the agricultural know-how, and its world demand, is really transforming the local economy here. Word on the street is that much of the land for sugar cane crops is slowly being replaced by coffee plantations that have been here for centuries.

I was fortunate to visit with one local roaster and owner of a café in the town of Hanalei who has been roasting Hawaiian beans for the last eight years. Mark, the owner of Hanalei Coffee and Tea Company, was in the middle of roasting his beans when I walked in on a warm mid-morning lull.

Mark’s café is situated in a beautiful century-old wooden building just off Kuhio Highway. Seating can be found just outside the café’s door around a beautiful deck by which to perch oneself and watch the locals or other tourists come and go.

Green coffee runs about $16 per pound here, which is nearly six times the world commodity market’s rate. Labor laws and environmental regulations, among others, push the coffee prices well beyond the world’s top prices. One fact I didn’t realize is that coffee here isn’t traded on the world commodity market. The result, Mark argues, is the world’s fairest trade coffee.

I ordered an espresso and Americano and walked towards the door to get me a seat when I was greeted by the owner. “Not too many people order just a shot of espresso,” Mark commented, which is probably why he came over to introduce himself.  “We do get a lot of orders for iced coffee,” he added with a smile.

Mark and I chatted for awhile about his business and what running a café is like in Hawaii. He usually roasts single origin Hawaiian coffee every morning during the week. “It doesn’t get more local than this,” he said.

Below is a video of Mark roasting his beans to meet the demands of his customers and thriving internet sales.

Hanalei Coffee Roasters, Kauai, HI

Hanalei Coffee Roasters

5-5183C Kuhio HWY

Hanalei, HI 96714‎

(808) 826-6717

http://www.hanaleicoffeeandteacompany.com

Ground Control Coffeehouse, Goodyear AZ

Afterburner Roast by Ground Control

1964 was a great year!!  One of my favorite events during this very historical time in our country was my birth at Luke Air Force Base near the White Tank Mountains of Arizona.  LOL.

Last week I coerced my Mom into taking me to Base so I could reconnect with my past; to see what had changed and what had stayed the same after so many years.  Our timing was perfect!  Lucky for us we were able to see some of the new F-35 jets fly in formation, peel off one at a time then land one the flight line.  As a kid, I remember parking next to the road at the end of the line watching the F-15s and F-16s land one right after another.  I could sit there for hours … the precision, the sound, the strength, and oddly magical … it has always given me a thrill!

Still on a natural high, we took Litchfield Road south past the lower entrance and guess what we found?  One of the biggest independent coffeehouses I’ve seen yet: Ground Control, owned by one of the training pilots at Luke, Sean Rassas and his wife Tara.  They have successfully brought together their love of coffee, community, food, world class beer and wine.  This is “where community happens”!

Luke AFB

They also roast their own coffee daily right there in the entry space that is both their roastery and the front counter.  This multi-purpose room also serves as storage for their bags of green beans and the espresso machine where the baristas tamp out yummy shots of java.  They recently delivered a select roast to Oskar Blues, a small brewery in northern Colorado.  to brew up their very own coffee stout.

GET OUT OF HERE!!!  How cool is that?  ~Lisa

Ground Control

4860 N Litchfield Rd.
Goodyear, AZ 85395
(623) 535-9066

http://www.groundxcontrol.com

 

La Bella Rosette, Denver CO

The coolest, smallest coffeehouse in Denver!

Java Moose Coffee House & Deli, Fairplay CO

Java Moose in Fairplay, CO

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Java Moose Coffee House & Deli

730 Main Street

Fairplay, CO 80440

http://www.javamoosesouthpark.com

Highway 9 offers a viable option when avoiding I-70 “slow and go” traffic back to Denver.  As I descended Hoosier Pass driving south out of Breckenridge, CO this afternoon I was drawn to stop at the Java Moose Coffee House & Deli.

The barista was too busy to chat, but I met a kind man sitting at the end of the counter.  He is a truck driver who lives in South Park.  He stops in for a coffee and a doughnut whenever he’s home …. “love the community that meets here”, he said.

According to their website they have art hanging on the walls from the students in Ms. Husher’s class at the local middle school.

How does it get any better than this?