I haven’t always loved coffee. I used to drink it solely for caffeine to keep me going in college and my first part-time job. Later on, I discovered delicious locally-roasted and naturally processed coffee. When you try GOOD coffee, you can tell the difference. Drinking Keurig or ground grocery store coffee just won’t cut it. My favorite coffee is grown in Ethiopia. More specifically, the Yirgacheffe region of Ethiopia. This coffee is so smooth, syrupy, and is often accompanied by flavors of berries and chocolate, and a floral aroma. So, as I said before, I am obsessed with coffee. I have been called a coffee snob. So when I travel I have a few tricks and customs to make the trip smoother by planning my itinerary around coffee shops or restaurants that take my passion seriously.
A few years ago, when I first started planning around my next cup of Joe, I traveled to Durham, NC and discovered my favorite supplier and roaster…Counter Culture. They are a specialty coffee roaster sourcing exceptional single-origin and specialty coffee. They also have training centers where you can sample coffees and do cuppings/tastings as you experience at a brewery, distillery, or winery. This was the experience that got me hooked.
Counter Culture is headquartered in North Carolina in Durham and has staff that helps you sample their beans, give tours of the facility, and walk you through the process of what makes an average coffee and what makes a great coffee. See my review of their headquarters here.
After having this life-changing experience my wife and I started searching Google and Google Maps for certain keywords to find the type of coffee shops and restaurants we knew would have freshly roasted, single-origin and naturally processed beans. Here are some tips to help you find the coffee shops I consider the cream of the crop. Just open up Google Maps and search some of the following keywords:
- Single Origin Coffee
- Coffee Roasters
- Roasted Beans
- Fair Trade
- Search By Name Of Roaster (ex. Counter Culture)
The best part about shops and cafes that have excellent coffee is that you don’t just get delicious drip coffee. You can get a quality cup from a pour-over, french press, espresso machine and more. Great coffee and espresso is almost guaranteed to make excellent lattes, cappuccinos, americanos, and other espresso drinks (my favorite is the flat white)
So, a few examples of my new way of travel are going to Charleston, SC for vacation and making sure I stop at Kudu Coffee. Not only do they have some of the best espresso drinks and lattes, but they also have scones, pastries, and they sell my favorite brew…Counter Culture. When I traveled to New Zealand, I was able to have one of the best flat white espresso drinks at our hotel (Heritage Queenstown) in Queenstown. When I travel to New York City I can always count on my above searches giving me great options like Stumptown, Counter Culture, & Blue Bottle.
So now, when I travel each day begins with a hunt for that perfect breakfast spot with something savory, something sweet, and always a delicious cup of coffee from a shop or cafe that ‘gets’ me. And, especially if I’m in a new time zone, finding that perfect Americano or shot of espresso isn’t such a bad idea either.
Lastly, with so much research on coffee and the best coffee shops, I started compiling lists using Google Maps new list functionality. You can see some examples from my local area and some of my favorite coffee cities below.
I would love any recommendations you have and maybe I can try them in a coffee subscription here in the States.
