Steamboat Java Roundup
Sometimes it’s breweries getting all the attention, other times bars and even dispensaries. This time, it’s town’s coffee shops and roasters, with a slew (a latte?) of changes percolating around Steamboat’s java scene. Following is a filtered sampling of what’s going on in the world of Joe in what is fast becoming Coffee Town USA.
Seedhouse Coffee (New Owners Starburst)
The new owners of Seedhouse Coffee, Alyssa and Ryan Stauffer and Kendra and Chase Lovins, understand the value of a good cup of coffee. That’s why this January they purchased the roasting company from Andy and Kay Leigh Kearns, who bought the roasting biz in 2019 from founder Gates Gooding. Roasting each bean to a unique profile to bring out its nuances, the company specializes in organic, single-origin, ethically sourced coffees, roasting their beans twice a week at its location downtown. Their quiver includes four single-origin coffees including Honduras Pactiva, Ethiopia Limu, Guatemala Codech and Mexico Chiapas, as well as seasonal and espresso blends. It selects beans based on flavor profiles — sweet, fruity, bright, and earthy — and sources from producers around the world. It’s their mission that “every coffee we share has something unique to say about where it came from and how it was processed. We only offer those rare coffees that we get truly excited about.”
They also help the communities they work with around the world, giving a percentage of profits toward people, projects and initiatives that are making a difference. “We believe in leveraging everything we have at Seedhouse for bettering our world,” maintains Kendra. “We love coffee, and we love this community.” Bonus: A subscription service for $17 per delivery, delivered to your home, however often you want. Info: www.seedhouse.coffee
Beard & Braid
Feel free to show up at Steamboat’s newest coffee shop with your follicles wherever and however you want them. Located at 116 Ninth Street downtown (Azteca ring a bell?), Beard & Braid is owned by Jess Lindstrom and offers fresh coffee, Colorado craft beers, organic wines and awesome sauce baked goods, including house-made pastries, croissants, coffee cakes, scones, birthday cakes and more.
Its motto—”Drink good coffee and be kind”—rings home with us, as does its coffee from Lakewood’s Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters, which connects the coffee farmers with the bean processors, wholesalers and consumers. Its menu runs the gamut from espresso, Americano, macchiato and latte to drip coffee, cold brew, tea and more. It also serves Sherpa Chai, matcha latte and turmeric-based golden milk. As for wines, look for such organic offerings as Italy’s Vincenzo Bianco and others; and for brewha’s, a large selection of crafts from across the Centennial State.
“Our goal is to be thoughtful in in our service and products and listen to the community,” says Lindstrom, adding that the shop is “a thoughtful space and crew that want you to want to be there.”
The Steamboat Collective
Longtime Steamboat sommeliers Michael Lang and AJ Fossum have teamed up to create 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. Led by barista Colleen McNaught, it also offers bagels, pastries, yummies from Mountain Waffle Co., and a wine-tasting charcuterie with cheese, olives, nuts and more. The venture came about wine consulting business Fifty 5 Degrees Steamboat, started by Lang, Fossum and Swanson. Info: www.wine-collective.com
Dusky Grouse Coffee
Call it Steamboat’s only coffee and record store. Glen and Stephany Traylor’s new Dusky Grouse Coffee, at 1585 Mid-Valley Drive, blends albums and java to what they call “a welcoming gathering place filled with the aroma of roasted beans.” From hot to cold, the new coffee shop offers more than 15 different 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. And go in expecting tunes as well as treats as they sell records, vinyl-style, as well. The shop also partners with Seattle radio station KEXP to play alternative and indie rock while you’re sipping your cup of joe, as well as albums for sale and staff’s favorite picks. It all goes with their motto, “Music matters, you are not alone.” And coffee matters, also. Info: www.duskygrousecoffee.com
Butter Bean Coffee
Founded by Liberty Adams, Butter Bean Coffee is Steamboat’s newest cold coffee brew. Available at Mountain Brew Coffee and other select locations, the bottled coffee drink is cold-brewed delicious and one of several new drinks Adams hopes to offer down the pipeline (he started NEWZ flavoring earlier this year). He says he has ideas for other uplifting drinks, including those using terpenes, as well as drinks that enhance creativity, decrease stress and more. For his cold brew, he wanted to decrease coffee’s bitterness and acidity, allowing him to add different flavors not normally found in coffee drinks.
Burlap & Berry
Located in the former Ghost Ranch Saloon (now Steamboat Commons) building at 56 7th Street, Burlap & Berry is one of town’s newest coffee shops, providing high-quality coffee and espresso thanks to its partnership with the passionate small-batch roasters at Steamboat Coffee Co. Its mission: for you to love their coffee as much as they love making it. Also look for smoothies, Italian sodas, blended drinks, breakfast sandwiches, and uber-yummy smoothie bowls, all—for this summer, anyway—served out of their takeout window. “We’re incredibly excited to show everyone the plans we have for this year,” says Anson Palmer, who co-owns it with partner Frankie Azulay. Info: www.burlapberry.co
Emerald Boat
You’ve maybe heard of the “Emerald Mile”, the book by Kevin Fedarko about the record-setting dory descent down the Grand Canyon. Now Steamboat has its own Emerald Boat, named after Emerald Mountain and just as green. The new coffee shop and café is at 700 Yampa Street, 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 Anahita Tikku, who owns it with partner Walter Leskiff and touts 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.” Info: www.emeraldboat.com
Not to Forget the Tried and True
Mountain Brew
With locations downtown and inside the library, Mountain Brew, owned by Alan Hansen, is a locals’ favorite for a cup of java and other specialty concoctions (a whopping 11 signature drinks). Ranging from light roasts to dark, it serves the finest fair trade coffee beans available, small-batch roasted in Portland, Ore., and ground fresh for each pot, as well as coffees from Steamboat’s local roasters. Menu items vary daily, featuring baked goods and a full breakfast and lunch menu, sourced locally (try the quiche or curry chicken wrap). “We’re an intimate coffee shop in downtown Steamboat,” maintains Hansen. Info: www.mountainbrewsteamboat.online
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 at their roastery at 2432 Lincoln Ave. out west to put a little boost in your step or pedal crank. Info: www.bigironcoffee.com
Steamboat Coffee Roasters
Locally roasted in good ol’ Routt County, Steamboat Coffee Roasters offers a rotating selection on drip, as well as a variety of different bags sold whole bean. In all, it offers “19 varieties, freshly roasted at altitude,” including such organic, fair trade, rainforest-friendly and Steamboat-themed roasts as Powder Morning, 3 Wire Winter, Hahn’s Peak and Nordic Jumpn’ Bean. Bean bonus: Bring your own beans in and it will also grind your coffee so it’s as fresh as possible. Info: www.steamboatcoffee.com
