Twin Cities Coffee ~ Caffeine Crawl Trail, Part 2

Shop talk, round two, with more of the stellar shops behind Caffeine Crawl Twin Cities 2016! 

Photo courtesy of UP Coffee Roasters

Up Coffee Roasters

What's one of the most unique or interesting things about your company?  Over the last 20 years, the founder of Up Coffee Roasters, David Chall, has adapted the company to fit the needs of today's coffee market - meanwhile striving to keep relationships strong among our wholesale accounts and vendors. In addition, the company has succeeded by establishing quality partnerships within the coffee industry, including the Cafe Femenino Foundation and the Rainforest Alliance. As a result, Up Coffee Roasters has grown into one of the largest Organic Fair Trade coffee wholesalers in the United States.

What would you recommend ordering for first-time customers? From a roaster's stand point, the Costa Rica: Finca San Luis-Las Lajas Micromill Red Honey Process with Black Cherry, Savory, Malt, and Chocolate flavor notes is a must try. From the barista's standpoint - a simple yet complex cappuccino produced with the Matador Espresso Blend, delivering chocolate, caramel, and citrus notes steamed with Autumnwoood Farm milk from Forest Lake, MN. 

What's coming up that you are excited about? One particular item that comes to mind is our Nepal coffee from the Lekali Estate. Brought to us by Crop to Cup Coffee, this rare and exciting coffee is like no other coffee we have had before. With cupping notes such as red pepper, apricot, tomato, cream, and darn right unique, we are excited to be offering this bean to our wholesale accounts and the general public. 

~ ​Evan Christensen, General Cafe Manager and Lead Barista Trainer
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Photo courtesy of Spyhouse Coffee Roasters

Spyhouse Coffee Roasters

What's one of the most unique or interesting things about your company? We pride ourselves on being a truly independent coffee company with no partners, investors, or any affiliation with an umbrella company. 

What would you recommend ordering for first-time customers? Cortado. A congruency of milk & espresso that defines the quality and care of the coffee we source, roast, serve, and also the quality of the products we purchase form vendors, such as Crystal Ball Organic Farms.

What's coming up that you are excited about? We are in the process of looking for a fifth location, possibly expanding into bottling operations, and we are "excited" about The Frosty Bang! Bang! We haven't had a blender on the bar in about 6 years. :)

~ Erin Ntalo, Director of Retail
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Photo courtesy of Fireroast Cafe

Fireroast Cafe

What's one of the most unique or interesting things about your company? We are a locally owned cafe that features in-house made baked goods, scratch made soups and made to order sandwiches. 

What would you recommend ordering for first-time customers? Try our house-made Chai or our rosemary-mint infused lemonade. 

What's coming up that you are excited about? We are introducing gourmet top quality flatbread pizzas this summer, coming soon!

​~ Jeff Fisher, Owner

Photo courtesy of Hub City Cafe

Hub City Cafe

What's one of the most unique or interesting things about your company? Hub City Cafe's mission is to be a revolving showcase of the best the Minnesota has to offer; in coffee, food, art and music. All of our vendors are locally based; specifically, in the Twin Cities metro and surrounding areas.  We will have a monthly local artist rotation and live music schedule.  We chose our vendors and created our art/music programs this way because we believe that the Twin Cities offer everything we need to thrive.

What would you recommend ordering for first-time customers? First time customers should try a cappuccino and house-made biscotti!  We'll be featuring pastries made by our wonderful business partner, Tina Rexing, owner of T-Rex Cookie Co. For those that don't drink caffeine, one of Tina's 1/2 pound cookies and some glasses of milk are perfect for sharing. 
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What's coming up that you are excited about? Our grand opening is happening on Friday, May 13th!  The past month has been a whirlwind of preparation for this day.  I'm exhausted and elated!  Additionally, we are focusing on our patio renovation. Its opening date is still TBA (but definitely before Caffeine Crawl!) and once it's fully operational we'll have lots of outdoor seating, a living wall and other gardens, and a stage for live music!  

~ ​Taylor Weeden, Operations Manager
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Photo courtesy of Sebastian Joe's

Sebastian Joe's Ice Cream

What's one of the most unique or interesting things about your company? All coffee is freshly roasted daily at our Franklin location. All of our highest quality beans are responsibly sourced to help produce the finest cup of coffee. 

What would you recommend ordering for first-time customers? First time customers are always amazed about our lattes. They are creamy and chocolatey throughout. Another favorite of many is the Cafe Affogato. When you blend the city's premier ice cream with an exquisite espresso, heaven is made in the cup. 

What's coming up that you are excited about? Sebastian Joe's is always introducing new single origins. For instance, we are currently roasting an Ethiopian Derar Ela that is unbelievable. 

- Timothy Pellizzer, Owner and Roaster
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Photo courtesy of Quixotic Coffee

Quixotic Coffee

What's one of the most unique or interesting things about your company?  Our six non-alcoholic tap lines... including two cold brews, three kombuchas and a rotating iced tea. Also, our parfait program definitely stands out - we make muesli, chia pudding, and a quinoa parfaits with fresh fruit every day.

What would you recommend ordering for first-time customers? The White Lightning (nitro cold brew, vanilla, and 1/2 and 1/2) or one of our three kombuchas on tap.

What's coming up that you are excited about? So many things - we've got artisan paninis - i.e., one with beets, goat cheese, and an arugula/basil pesto, we're partnering with Fit Foodie Finds on our new smoothie program and we are getting a number of new simple syrups from Sally's Simple Syrups - including coconut, rhubarb thyme, strawberry, almond, and date caramel.

~ Jake Nelson, Owner

Read part 1 here! 

Part 3 coming soon...

Get the full lineup of participating shops and your tickets here! ​
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