Introducing: The Coffee Run

Let’s face it, Green Bay has no shortage of coffee places. We have a number of fantastic local roasters, coffee shops, and little cafes serving up a variety of treats. It should be our responsibility as locals to shop local, eat local, and drink local. We’re surrounded by people pouring their passion into something that fuels us all for the work day ahead. I want to know who’s the best of the best. I want to know who roasts my favorite beans in town so that I can get a similar fix when I’m at home. This desire has led me to only one conclusion: I need to try more local coffee.

So begins The Coffee Run, my quest to find Green Bay’s Best Latte and Green Bay’s Best Roaster. Almost all of our local coffee roasters also host cafes, but not all. There’s a potential that the best cup of coffee in town may not necessarily have the best beans in town for home brewing. It may almost be preferable that these two are not one and the same. If they’re different, I can gladly support two small businesses at once with more regularity. If I’m lucky, maybe I can help you, gentle reader, find new favorites. 

But how am I going to do that? Coffee is so subjective. My parameters will be different for prepared coffee versus roasts taken home to prepare. 

Prepared Coffee

I’m a simple woman, a vanilla latte has been my go to order since I even knew what a latte was. I’ve lately gravitated to preparations that include cinnamon in some form even outside of Pumpkin Spice Season. Speaking of season, seasonal items are often a thing at coffee shops. Do I neglect the seasonal menu if one exists?

At each shop I visit, I will select the seasonal latte if such a thing exists. If there is no seasonal latte, I’ll opt for a flavored latte of some form so that my order is semi-regular at all locations that I visit. If I went to every local place that prepares a cup of brewed coffee, this project would never end. Therefore, I’m going to focus on the latte. ​

Coffee Roasts

Not every coffee joint in town prepares their own beans, and that’s okay. Therefore, the roast will be a separate category to consider. At each location I visit that roasts their own beans, I will ask the staff if there is a signature blend that they use in the cafe or consider their flagship blend. I’ll take that coffee home to try, at which point a single cup will be brewed using the pour over method. I’ll then prepare it with a spoonful of sugar and two tablespoons of my preferred at home creamer, the Chobani Vanilla.​

Food

While not a priority during this endeavor, the food must be considered too. The best cafe can back up a good cup of coffee with a good breakfast. The food I order will not be under the same guidelines as the way I’m going to categorize the coffee and the beans. If a location provides food, it will be discussed in the same article that I prepare for the coffee itself. It will not impact the final decision of where the best coffee roast or latte comes from, but a good meal to go with my coffee will earn its own honorable mention.

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We’re starting with an independent roaster in Ashwaubenon, Village Roasters, and you can expect that article and video later this weekend.