For years, I bemoaned the fact that Little Rock, Arkansas did not have a micro-roastery I was excited to visit.  It seemed Onyx was the only craft coffee game in Arkansas. On a recent trip to Arkansas, however, a dear friend kindly informed me that there was a new roaster in Little Rock that I needed to check out: Mylo Coffee Co.

I made it my mission to head over and check out their café on Kavanaugh Boulevard. When I walked in, I was pleasantly surprised to see a beautiful, green Diedrich IR-5, recessed in a roasting area behind the bar. I then noticed the sleek La Marzocco Strada, along with some manual brew methods. This gave me an indication that these guys were doing something right, but the proof would still be in the pudding. I ordered a V60 of the Costa Rica Perla Negra, and was blown away. This coffee was roasted right in the sweet spot: bright and fruit forward, with a lovely acidity, but very well balanced with pleasant bitters and some more of the fruity sweetness in the finish. The roast was light, yet it had no sourness in the cup. I was instantly sold and very happy to have a new favorite coffee shop in Little Rock.

After getting back on the road and enjoying my pourover, I wanted to share this coffee with others. I had the idea of getting them featured on mycoffeepub.com, a subscription coffee company that I help
curate. The most exciting part of curating a coffee subscription is looking for the hidden gems that are making a fantastic product but may not yet be on the map. Mylo was equally excited to work with My Coffee Pub, and so with that new relationship formed I am hoping that more and more people will get to try this great roaster out of Little Rock.

On my way back through, I decided to stop again in Little Rock and spend some more time at the shop
and roastery. I reached out to Markos, the head roaster, who was more than accommodating. Markos showed me around the facility and told me a little about the history of the shop. Stephanos and Monica Mylonas started Mylo’s as a bakery that specialized in responsibly and sustainably sourced ingredients, with a focus on seasonality. Before opening their café they were originally a stall in a local farmers market. Now they are looking to expand to a second location. They still bake everyday and also serve great lunch entrees that use local and organic ingredients.

Mylo began roasting 2 years ago and Markos came in to focus exclusively on developing their roasting process. As an engineer by training, Markos is scrupulously scientific about all of the coffee he roasts. He told me that he cannot fall asleep at night if there is a profile that he thinks he needs to try on a new coffee!  Markos has only been roasting coffee for 2 years but has really expedited his learning process with consistent cupping, detailed processes, and experimentation behind the roaster. His rigor and lab work are paying off in a fantastic cup of coffee and I am excited to continue to enjoy the fruit of his labor for years to come.

Photos by Gil Gildner.