Top Ten Tuesday - Caffeine Crawl Colorado Springs

~ With 4 Caffeine Crawls in 4 Colorado cities, Colorado Springs blew us away. Beverage highlights here! ~

Happily added 90 extra minutes to my Colorado drive by stopping at Arrow Coffee in Manhattan for breakfast and a coffee. They had both Messenger and Ruby on the bar. Also, got a sneak peek of their new space in the works. - Jason 

Arrived in Colorado Springs before Sadie and Savannah, and in time to get a meal + beer as the storm rolled in over the mountains. Sitting at Wild Goose with a Pike's Peak Kolsch and mountains in the background did not suck. At all. - Jason 

Radiantly Raw Chocolate rocked a three-route kick off in Manitou Springs with samples of three mouth-watering truffles and an explanation of why raw chocolate is awesome. Next time you're in Manitou, check out their new space, shared with Anna's Apothecary and filled with unique, inviting charm and delicious things. 

Fifty Fifty Coffeehouse served up delicious pourovers of Switchback Coffee Roasters' El Salvador and a few snacks to balance the caffeine buzz. Heather gave a short presentation on the coffee and then encouraged everyone to mingle and make new friends - a cornerstone of Fifty Fifty's community-oriented mission. 

Class was in session at The Principal's Office, and we left with plenty of knowledge and a new coffee experience - Onyx espresso + tonic, and tasters of a coffee infused rum. Tyler highlighting the hundreds of hands coffee passes through from tree to cup, and deepened our appreciation as we sipped. 

We gathered around the community table at Wild Goose Meeting House to learn about the neighborhood events, great food & beverage program and the awesome people behind the cafe. Sampling a nitro cold brew + Left Hand Brewing Nitro Milk Stout pairing sweetened the deal! 

Peak Place Coffeehouse pulled all the stops with a age-comparison coffee tasting - coffee beans, aged from freshly roasted to 6 weeks old, helped Crawlers understand the effects of time on roasted coffee. Such a great experiment!

Colony Class is opening soon in the Springs, and it's shaping up to be really fantastic. A collaborative stop at Mountain Fold Books meant cold brew from Colony Class and Sweet Bloom pourovers with a peach galette from Mountain Fold, plus insight into the mission of both shops and some poetry to round it all out.

The Coffee Exchange introduced Crawlers to 'white espresso' - lightly toasted coffee beans producing a nutty flavor and plenty of caffeine when brewed. Several flavor combinations and a cuban espresso topped it off.

Switchback Coffee Roasters threw a rockin' party on the patio after the Crawl, complete with beer from Fossil Brewing, whiskey from Axe and the Oak, and wine supplied by Colorado Collective, plus a local non-profit food truck benefitting Wounded Warriors. We ate, drank and mingled, and then listened to Miguel Menendez and his family share their story as 4th generation coffee farmers in El Salvador. The perfect end to an awesome first Caffeine Crawl in Colorado Springs - we can't wait for next year! 

~ Join the Conversation ~