Vintage Rose - A Coffee Run Staple

West De Pere and the Lawrence area have no shortage of delicious little cafes to visit, and Vintage Rose is one of them that I’ve been to prior to starting this Coffee Run challenge of mine. Before this latest visit, I knew two things: I have never had a bad meal from their kitchens, and I have never had a bad cup of coffee. Still, it took me many months to finally make it back to them to add to our coffee rankings. I’m still not sure why that is. 

Their storefront has changed since my first visit. There are many more places to sit these days, and their collection of locally produced crafts, stickers, and pet treats has expanded as well. I could have sworn that they sold coffee from a roaster in the area I had not otherwise seen when I was first there, and it turned out that that roaster is still with them today: JSA Coffee Roasting out of Seymour.

I ordered one of their monthly special lattes to add them to our latte ranking, and from the two I selected the ‘Dog Ate My Homework’ which is flavored with toasted marshmallow & peanut butter cup syrups. The marshmallow syrup was the far stronger flavor in the combination, and its sweetness helped to mellow out the coffee. It was one of the smoother lattes that I’ve had over the course of this extended project, but I found I did miss the slight bite of the espresso I’ve had at other locations. I think I’ll be heading back soon to try the standard vanilla that I’ve had at other locations when there are no seasonal options available, but for now, I’ll give their lattes a solid ⅘.

JSA Coffee Roasting is not a local business that I’m familiar with outside of Vintage Rose. I haven’t seen them at any of the other coffee houses in town as of yet, and so when I picked up a bag of the horchata flavor coffee on a whim, I didn’t know what to expect. I brought it home after my visit, and the next day, I made a cup of coffee in my standard process: 2 heaping tablespoons of grounds to 8 ounces of water in the Chemex method. A splash of vanilla creamer and a teaspoon of sugar later, and I had a smooth cup of coffee for my workday. 
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It’s low level of acidity is perfect for me, given I have my fair share of stomach problems but still want a cup of coffee in the AM. I don’t have to worry so much about what I’m having for breakfast with my coffee while drinking this Horchata blend. There’s just enough flavoring in the blend that it compliments the coffee rather than takes it over, and that makes it my favorite so far behind only Village Roasters in Ashwaubenon that had EXCELLENT flavors. We’ll call this a 4.5/5.

As for food, Vintage Rose remains as delicious as when I first visited. You can see that early review at this link, or you can take my word for it when I say it’s similarly a 4.5/5. The peanut butter cup brownie I got on this visit was a new one for me, and I regret only buying one. I hope I see that on their morning announcements again soon. Good lord, was that a winner. 

Thanks as always to the staff, and with this, I promise more Coffee Runs are on the way. ​