It can be tough selling a hot beverage in the desert. Against all odds, roasters like Cartel, Press, and Peixoto have long championed locally-roasted coffee in the Phoenix area. But a new wave of cafés are introducing the Valley of the Sun to out-of-state roasters, adding a depth and diversity to the Phoenix coffee scene. On a recent trip to Arizona we visited three Phoenix coffee shops changing the local scene. …
Phoenix
Ghost Roasting with Nom de Plume Roasters
Opening a coffee roastery is a major operation. A good roaster can be more expensive than a new car, not to mention the cost of goods and infrastructure. But two young coffee professionals in Phoenix, Arizona are flipping the script. Harlin Glovacki and Niko Kovacevic, the duo behind Nom de Plume Roasters, have taken an unconventional approach to starting a coffee company. Inspired by Danish brewery Mikkeller, Glovacki and Kovacevic “ghost roast” their coffee. By renting time on Scottsdale-based Press Coffee’s Probat, Glovacki and Kovacevic are free to invest more of their capital in higher quality coffees. Although Nom de Plume is not even a year old, the company is already attracting some serious attention. …
Come for the Food, Stay for the Coffee at Crepe Bar in Tempe, AZ
A Foodie Favorite
We have a fairly simple policy for finding tasty coffee in Arizona: go where Bryan Schiele goes. The mustachioed software engineer has a caffeine tolerance that could drink most baristas under the table, and a palate as refined as a master sommelier’s. As anyone who follows his fantastic blog already knows, the guy drinks a lot of coffee. So when Bryan invited us to visit Crepe Bar with him, we didn’t have to think twice. …
Cafe Review: Giant Coffee in Phoenix
For most people, Arizona conjures up images of desert, cowboys, and cacti. With such a rugged heritage, it is little wonder the lion’s share of coffee shops here prefer to roast their own. But a strong micro-roaster scene also leaves room for committed cafes hawking out-of-state wares, and Giant Coffee in central Phoenix is standing tall in that gap. …
Cafe Review: Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe, AZ
It’s tough trying to sell coffee when the temperature outside is the same as a well steamed cappuccino, but Cartel Coffee Lab in Tempe, AZ has a threefold recipe for success: source incredible coffees, roast to highlight the natural flavor characteristics, and brew with skill and precision. Throw in a friendly staff, a DIY aesthetic, and an old strip mall down the street from a massive university and it’s little wonder that the Cartel Coffee syndicate has expanded to…
