Seven Favorite Coffee Shops (So Far)

I love coffee. I have many different methods to brew coffee at my house (My go to being my Hario V60 pour over) and I drink probably an average of three cups a day as well as I dabble in roasting coffee with my brother-in-law. So obviously I love going to coffee shops when I travel and I have accumulated a small list of favorites that I wish I could have at home with me. Here is my list of seven of my favorite coffee shops I have been to (so far!) Also I am excluding any of my home city of Atlanta’s coffee shops and just focusing on ones away from home.

1. Cartel Coffee Lab (Phoenix, AZ)  – There are several Cartel Coffee locations but I visited the Phoenix location in July of 2016. Something that is really important to me is quality of coffee and Cartel definitely cares about their coffee quality. When I went I got a Honey Process Costa Rican that was sweet and nutty to the last drop.
2. Glen Edith Roasters (Rochester, NY) – I discovered this shop in September 2014 on a road trip to see The Black Keys and Cage The Elephant in Rochester. When I went they were called Pour Coffee Parlor and served Verve and Intelligentsia but have since changed their name and began roasting their own. I would love to go back for a pour over and one of their “Lumberjack” sandwiches soon. (They also were doing nitro cold brew before it became such a huge fad) 
3. Boxcar Social (Toronto, ON) – When I visited Toronto last month (September 2016) one of the highlights to me was Boxcar Social. They specialize in coffee and whiskeys and serve flights of both. I did not try any whiskey but I tried a pour over of each of their offered coffees as well as an espresso shot of their Ethiopia Yukro from Anchored Coffee. I quite enjoyed the time spent there drinking coffee and I even brought back two bags to drink at home!
4. Mission Coffee Co. (Columbus, OH) – I also went to this shop on my Black Keys/CTE road trip as well as again on my way to Toronto. The first time I went they were serving multiple roasters and I tried a Siphon (or Syphon) of an Ethipia Amaro Gayo roasted by Deeper Roots and that coffee stands out as one of my favorite coffees I have had with its rich chocolateyness and its sweet distinct raspberry flavor (needless to say I bought a bag of it). The second time visiting they had began roasting their own coffees and we tried an Ethiopian and an El Salvador!
5. CREMA (Nashville, TN) – Crema rules. I visited for the first time last year and have been back every time I go to Nashville (which is often). The coffees they roast are on point and you can tell they care about they quality of the coffee they serve. The last coffee I had at Crema was a Honey Process Costa Rica Finca Dragon that i regret not buying a bag of. Crema is a must for me when in Nashville and despite it always being busy Crema is probably my favorite shop.
6. Black Tap Coffee (Charleston, SC) – Just like Nashville, I visit Charleston multiple times a year and Black Tap has become a staple in our trips alongside places my family has been visiting for years. Black Tap roasts their own coffee and does a good job at it. I can’t wait to go back to sip down some pour overs and spend time with family.
7. Elemental Coffee (Oklahoma City, OK) – Elemental is where I had one of my favorite coffees ever. I visited in July of 2015 on my way to the Grand Canyon and had a pour over of an Ethiopia Sidamo that I sadly had drink in a paper cup because we didn’t have time to sit and drink it but it was good enough in a paper cup that I had to buy a bag of it to compare with the Ethiopia Sidamo my brother-in-law and I had been roasting with our whirly pop. Once I got home and we brewed some up in the trusty ol’ V60 we were blown away by the complex flavor and deliciousness of the coffee. I tried to visit Elemental again on my way home from Utah in July of 2016 but was thwarted by storms and sunday coffee shop hours.

So there is my list. It is lacking for sure as I haven’t been to the northeast United States and I am about to visit Bard Coffee in Portland, Maine and that could easily be added to my list. But for now these are my favorites! – Josh

Anticipating Travel

     I am currently sitting outside of my work, sipping on some Guatemalan coffee between my second shift of the day. It is a cool 73 degrees outside and starting to feel like fall here in  Georgia. This weather is getting me increasingly excited for my two upcoming road trips! The first of which I leave for in less than two days now (Today is Thursday and we leave early Saturday morning). On that early Saturday morning my two traveling buddies (my sister and my girlfriend) and myself will depart for Columbus, Ohio to visit my Aunt and Uncle, after spending time in Columbus we will head for Cuyahoga Valley National Park to hike and enjoy learning the history of the park, our next stop is Toronto, Ontario (With a quick stop at Niagara Falls on the way of course), After spending two days in Toronto we will head into the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York to hike and relax in the woods (and hopefully see some moose), after the Adirondacks we have a short 8 hour drive to Shenandoah National Park to camp and hike, then we go home. I am stoked to spend so much time in the city to drink coffee, visit markets, and explore Columbus and Toronto. I am equally if not more stoked to camp in the woods and hike myself silly. The anticipation of an upcoming trip is one of my favorite feelings. Trying to decide what to pack and what not to pack, buying lots of peanut butter and ramen noodles, and just the knowledge that I will be in new places soon, experiencing things that I may not experience the rest of my life. I am excited to leave for our trip and I cannot wait to take pictures, write things down, and most of all just experience the joy that comes from traveling!

     I’m not sure what the point in writing this was other than to just get my excitement out in some sort of outlet but I hope my anticipation has encouraged whoever might read this to get out and get stoked to travel!

-Josh