Aaahh, there’s nothing like sipping a warm cup of joe on a cold winter morning, steam wisping up in the air. Following is an, ahem, filtered sampler of where to get that burst of caffeine.
Big Iron
Owned by Bowan Radkey, Big Iron Coffee has big plans to keep you caffeinated, with a chill vibe and delicious drinks. The biz that gives you a buzz has two coffee shops in town, one downtown and one on the west side, both serving up freshly roasted coffee drinks in all shapes and sizes. Visit them downtown at 635 Lincoln Ave. or 2432 Lincoln Ave. out west to put a little boost in your step or pedal crank. www.bigironcoffee.com
Beard & Braid
Mustache, goatee, it doesn’t matter. Show up at Beard & Braid with your follicles wherever you want them. Located at 116 Ninth St. downtown, Beard & Braid offers coffee drinks, Colorado craft beers, organic wines and awesome-sauce baked goods, including pastries, croissants, coffee cakes, scones and more. Its motto—”Drink good coffee and be kind”—rings home, as does its coffee from Lakewood’s Sweet Bloom Roasters. Hint: Try its Sherpa chai or turmeric-based golden milk. Says owner Jess Lindstrom: “It’s a thoughtful space with crew that wants you to want to be there.”
Causeway Coffee
Causeway Coffee, owned by Matt and Rose Lindquist at 427 Oak St., has taken the place of Mountain Brew, offering such creations as the sopapilla latte and maple breve, as well as espresso, cortado, latte, mocha, cappuccino and more. It also serves up handcrafted boba teas (with housemade tapioca balls) like the Purple Tiger, Red Panda and Sweet Ginger Pearl. Also choose from a variety of chai, matcha, golden milk, hot chocolate, mike steamers and teas. For vittles, try bagels, sandwiches, breakfast burritos and homemade pastries and even, yes, waffles on a stick.
Dusky Grouse/Common Grouse
Glen and Stephany Traylor’s Dusky Grouse Coffee, at 1585 Mid-Valley Dr., blends albums and java into “a welcoming gathering place filled with the aroma of roasted beans.” And now it has a new location in The Commons downtown (Common Grouse). Each shop offers a variety of handcrafted coffee drinks, from lattes to cortados, iced mochas and spicy chais. Also look for bagels, croissants, breakfast burritos and more to fuel your day outside. “We have an amazing local following and our Commons spot is going great,” says Steph. “It has a comforting community feel to it, which aligns with our mission.”
Emerald Boat
You’ve maybe heard of the “Emerald Mile,” the Kevin Fedarko book about the record-setting dory descent down the Grand Canyon. Now Steamboat has its Emerald Boat, a coffee shop and café at 700 Yampa St. offering healthy and organic drinks, house-made treats, savory food and more. Enjoy a cup of organic coffee, tea, chai, matcha, smoothies and a glass of wine or beer. “We’re super excited to provide unique food and drink options in a cheerful and warm environment,” says co-owner Anahita Tikku, touting its super luxe sofas, arm chairs, swiveling leather barstools and vintage wood tables. “Emerald Mountain represents the spirit of the town and we aim to be a gem of the town as well.”
Go Joe’s Express
Forget your coffee in your rush to get to the slopes? No matter, quaff one down quick while your friends are in the bathroom at Go Joe’s Express at the top of the gondola in the vestibule of Thunderhead Lodge. Select from Starbucks coffee, specialty drinks, juices and more, as well as breaky burritos, pastries and other vittles if you also forgot breakfast as you hurried out the door.
Riverside Café
Eat, Drink, Read, Think, Connect. That’s what Riverside Cafe invites you to do at its location inside the library. “Grab a beverage and snack while opening your world through books or engaging in our community over nutritious in-house made snacks along the Yampa River,” its website touts. “Everything we serve is made from scratch right in our little cafe.” Organic and ethically sourced coffee is provided by Seedhouse Coffee, which is roasted just a few blocks away. Swillin’ fave: the Green Smoothie, with spinach, banana, dates, walnut, ginger and coconut milk.
Starbucks
Yes, we can’t leave out this venerable icon of a caffeine fix, which has outlets throughout town, including Anglers Drive, City Market and Safeway (hit them all in a row for a Steamboat trifecta buzz!). You likely know all about them, and while they’re a hair more corporate than the quaint independent coffee shops we all love, they get the job done. Just don’t order the double-halfcaf-decaf-with half-and-half if there’s a big line behind you.
Steamboat Collective
Longtime Steamboat sommeliers Michael Lang and AJ Fossum run The Steamboat Collective at 1875 Ski Time Square Dr., which serves up Big Iron Coffee during the day and wine in the later hours. It’s a mountainside coffee shop in the morning, with wine tastings in the afternoon and a private club in the evenings. Lang, a 20-year sommelier at Harwigs and L’Apogee, joined forces with Fossum, owner of Ski Town Wine and Spirits, to open the establishment, with sommelier and former Sauvage GM Andre Swanson also chiming in. It also offers bagels, pastries, yummies from Mountain Waffle Co., and a wine-tasting charcuterie with cheese, olives, nuts and more.
Zoom
Run by longtime barista and baker Sherry Olson, Zoom, inside the gas station at Ski Haus Liquors, will keep you going and is on the way to where you’re going. Everything “is made with love,” she says, from dynamite breakfast burritos to soups, cookies, breakfast sandwiches, banana bread and more. But get there early if you want a burrito. “They go fast,” she says. Bonus: Pigs in a Blanket Wednesdays and Chicken on a Biscuit Thursdays.
