Coffee City USA
Grand Rapids, Michigan is home to some of the greatest brews in the country. “Beer City USA” may be its reigning title, but Madcap Coffee gives the city another brew to take pride in. Madcap Coffee Company, established only five years ago, has produced nationally-acclaimed barista competitors, a cavalier coffee series, and truly proven they are madcap about coffee.
Madcap Coffee Shop
98 Monroe Center NW, Grand Rapids, is where owners Trevor Corlett and Ryan Knapp showcase their coffee. As Madcap’s only location and roasting headquarters, the spot is a stunning reflection of the company’s telos: “to make and share amazing coffee”. The space is on the first floor of a beautiful historic building that was gutted and repurposed in 2007 prior to the opening of the cafe in the Fall of 2008. The focal point of the room is a 180° bar -perfect for watching your coffee be brewed, while still being able to converse with the baristas. Madcap’s shiny La Marzocco GB5 cranks out shot after shot of espresso while manual pours-overs are brewed with Kalita Waves (versus the Hario V60). Everything about the interior clicked when I read how Co-Founder Ryan Knapp recently delved into the DNA of the Madcap retail space at the International Coffee Week – Brazil 2013.
The Madcap Coffee
Co-Founder Trevor Corlett’s 2013 USBC routine featured two harvests of MadCap’s Didier Reinoso Colombia, one from July 2012 and another from December 2012. I had a V60 pour over of the Luis Reinoso (brother to Didier) Colombia and later a V60 of the Ethiopian Ardi Natural (a coffee dear to our hearts since it is also roasted and served at Sunergos Coffee here in our hometown). I bought a bag of the Didier Reinoso Colombia (which contained both the July and December crops) and a bag of the Sulawesi Toarco Jaya. Tastings both in the shop and at home left little doubt that this was competition worthy coffee.
Madcap also released a noteworthy coffee series where they sold eight single varietals, or cultivars, from the same grower, the Rodriguez family in Apaneca, El Salvador. The series was available for a limited time and showcases one of the reasons why people refer to El Salvador as one of the most progressive coffee producing regions in the world.
The Future of Madcap Coffee
Conclusion
“Nothing good can come from Bland Rapids,” might be a saying you’ve heard. Our experience was nothing short of diverse, cultured, and pumped full of delicious craft coffee. We think Madcap is doing something special. The zeal and fervor to push the envelope on what is expected in the coffee companies in the Midwestern region of America while maintaining integrity as they grow has us really excited for what is to come at Madcap. Next time you’re near the hand state, we don’t think you’ll be disappointed to make the stop.
Photo Credit: Brett Carlson from the VSCO x Madcap Coffee Event
Very good information. I just found Madcap coffee in L.A. at Cafe Dulce in Little Toyko and wanted to know more about it. Now I know! What a quality operation. Thanks again for the good information.