Coffee Culture by Volume One Magazine

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LI FE IS BETTER AT TH E CABI N ALTOONA'S NEW COFFEE JOINT BRINGS BEANS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD BY DIANA PETERSON / PHOTOS: AN DREA PAU LSETH

etting coffee has become an important part of our morning (and afternoon, and evening) routine. Coffee is more than a beverage: It’s a science, a passion, and a way of life. Cabin Coffee in Altoona’s River Prairie has figured that out. Owners Kelly and Joe Gribowski have planned meticulously for the enjoyment of your coffee experience. “We want three things for our customers: to taste fresh, high-quality food and drinks, to feel welcomed by our exceptional customer service, and to just be happy and have fun,” Kelly said. Roasting their arabica beans every day ensures customers have the freshest coffee possible. In addition to espresso,

they serve a variety of blends of light, medium, medium-dark and dark roast. Cabin Coffee offers 22 types of singleorigin coffee, including Colombian from South America, Costa Rican from Central America, Ethiopian from Africa, and Java from Indonesia. In addition to vibrant flavor, fresh-roasted beans have a rich aroma and offer numerous health benefits. Cabin Coffee prides itself on unbeatable service. Both the owners and the staff undergo extensive training to educate themselves about the beverages they serve. Breakfast and lunch menus are available all day. Breakfast sandwiches

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are available on bagels, wraps, and croissants. Cabin Coffee also serves bakery items and signature and specialty sandwiches. Everything is made to order, and there are gluten-free options for the diet-conscious. A variety of seating options are available, from a large table in a meeting room to smaller spots on the patio. Coffee connoisseurs can sit at the bar or cozy up by the fireplace. The décor is selected to give you a relaxing place to sit with your friends. Music is on low volume to help keep conversations private. Cabin Coffee has customer-friendly menus that explain each drink, a loyalty

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card for regular customers, a familyfriendly attitude with a table set aside for smaller children, art and crafts on the wall that are available for purchase, an environmentally conscious mindset, recyclable Cabin cups for your Keurig, and last, but not least, a drink of the month. Don’t tell anyone yet, but the Gold Rush will be featured in October; it contains caramel, butterscotch, cinnamon, and white coffee. Cabin Coffee Co. is in River Prairie at 2922 Meadowlark Lane, Altoona. They’re open Monday–Friday 6am6pm and Saturday-Sunday 8am-6 pm. Learn more online at facebook.com/ CabinCoffeeAltoona.

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M UG OF VICTORY UW-STOUT GRAD DESIGNS A VIKINGS-THEMED COFFEE BY JERRY POLING / UW-STOUT

ate Killam can walk into a Caribou Coffee shop or a Minnesota grocery store these days and easily spot examples of his creative skills: packages of Vikings Blend coffee. The limited release Vikings Blend, a medium roast, went on sale in early August. It’s also available in Minnesota grocery stores and in K-cups. The deep purple bag with gold “SKOL” lettering and a gold Minnesota Vikings seal really stands out across the room, Killam said. Skol, a word with Nordic origins, is the team’s rally cry, and “Skol Vikings” is the team’s fight song. Killam, a May 2017 UW-Stout graduate in graphic design and interactive media, was the lead designer on the packaging. He works for Cue, a brand design firm in Minneapolis. Caribou is the official coffee of the Vikings. “They wanted it to bleed purple and have instant shelf recognition,” Killam said.

Caribou Coffee has more than 263 company-owned stores and 50 coffee and bagel stores in partnership with Einstein Bros. Bagels, 142 licensed locations in 19 states and 268 franchise stores in 12 countries. One of the project challenges was working with the brand standards for both Caribou and the Vikings, Killam said. Several design concepts were whittled down to three, which were presented to Caribou and the Vikings for the final design to be chosen. Killam worked closely with Cue’s creative director and company co-founder Alan Colvin, along with others from the Cue staff. “All the colors, typefaces, and graphic elements have to be in accordance with their brand standards,” Killam said. “You want to keep it simple and very clearly Vikings. One of biggest challenges was not overcomplicating the design. Starting big and then pulling back to what’s absolutely necessary for a simpler and more confident design.”

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Interestingly, Killam is neither a coffee drinker nor a football fan, but he thought that helped him bring an objective point of view to the project. He joined the Cue staff full time early this year after working there as an intern. He actually designed Vikings Blend during his internship that began in fall 2017. Killam, who grew up in Northfield, Minnesota, said he loves what he’s doing and that UW-Stout’s graphic design and interactive media program prepared him well for his career. He cited professors Nagesh Shinde, Robert

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Fraher, and Alex DeArmond as among those who were influential in his development as a designer. “I feel like Stout’s program has set me up for a really good career. Stout required me to have internships and real-world experience, and there were a variety of classes and great professors. So far my career is going really well, and I owe it pretty much all to Stout,” he said. Killam had internships through UW-Stout's Cooperative Education program in Career Services.

Th e Perfect Cu p SIX TRICKS FOR DOING YOUR BEST BUYING AND BREWING BY COLIN CAREY / PHOTO: MADISYN KEPHART

y obsession with coffee started seven years ago, while I was working at the local teahouse, Infinitea. I discovered that much like tea, coffee from different parts of the world has dramatically different flavor qualities. My interest was further expanded when I discovered that the way a shop roasts the coffee can change which flavors are highlighted. To explore these flavor and roast differences, my friends and I started the Eau Claire Coffee Club in the summer of 2014. The Coffee Club has been a great way to explore different roasters around the country, sample unique coffees, and discuss methods for brewing coffee at home. Here are a couple tips to help you improve your coffee brewing at home, which can make your morning routine more cost effective, more enjoyable, and exciting.

1. Buy Fresh Coffee: Freshly roasted coffee usually has more potent, rich flavor. After coffee is processed and shipped to Wisconsin, it arrives as a green bean, and it is the job of the roaster to roast the coffee to a point where it releases its maximum flavor potential. As the coffee rests, it slowly loses aromatics and flavor, and begins to taste stale. When you buy fresh coffee from local roasters, you really only want to keep the coffee for no more than 3-4 weeks after its roast date.

n my world, coffee is not just a beverage – it is a way of life. My go-to is an iced caramel macchiato with nonfat milk. But lately I have been intrigued by a few hot trends popping up on social media and at our local coffee shops. These trends include super coffee, nitrogen infused coffee and cold brew.

Super Coffee.

Super coffee is coffee infused with ingredients like butter, coconut oil, protein powder, chia seeds, oats, spices, etc. I have tried cold brew infused with protein powder. While this is not my favorite way to consume cold brew, it is one of my favorite ways to consume protein powder. I have seen many at-home baristas on social media trying their hand at creating these super coffees, but I have not had much luck locating them in the Chippewa Valley. Perhaps we will see this trend make its way into the Chippewa Valley in 2019. Where can I find one? Starbucks offers a plant-based protein-blended cold brew.

2. Storage: Try to keep coffee away from sunlight and in an airtight container. Most coffee bags today come with a plastic roll tie on the top to decrease the amount of air interacting with the coffee as it sits in your cupboard. This helps to keep those delicious coffee flavors in the beans longer. Often, using a screw-top jar or sealable container helps to keep air out the best. Sunlight will dry out the beans or could add some funky undesirable qualities. 3. Grind before you Brew: When we grind coffee, we are breaking the bean down into particles so that water can extract the flavors from the roasted bean. When you buy ground coffee in the store, it is likely to go bad sooner. When grinding, it is important to grind the coffee as uniformly as possible to get an accurate and evenly distributed extraction. The best grinder to use is a Burr Grinder, which smashes the bean at a consistent adjustable level depending on the coffee brewing method.

often taste chocolaty and nutty, African Coffees will taste fruity and bright, and South Pacific coffees taste earthy and savory. Having knowledge of these differences will help to inform your purchases at the store or online.

5. Accuracy: Making coffee involves a good amount of math. Without getting too into the specifics of extraction ratios, it is important to know that different brewing methods require varying ratios of ground coffee to brewing water. One simple rule is try to stay consistent with the amount of coffee grounds and water used each morning, I use a kitchen scale to accurately measure the weight of the coffee,

4. Coffee Geography: Coffee can taste dramatically different depending on where it is grown, how it is processed, the variety of the coffee plant and the plant’s elevation, humidity, and soil content. Coffees from Central and South America will

HOT COFFEE TREN DS FROM A LOCAL COFFEE FANATIC BY JEN EKBLAD Nitrogen Infused Coffee . Nitro coffee is just that – coffee that is kegged, pressurized and infused with 100 percent nitrogen. “When the coffee is poured out of a tap, a creamy, foamy cascade of rich coffee fills the glass,” explained Katy Stevens, owner of N7 Café, a mobile café in the Chippewa Valley. “The nitrogen changes the texture of the drink and feels like you are drinking a beer,” she added. So, for those of you who enjoy a refreshing draft beer, nitro coffee is calling your name! Stevens describes the cascade effect of the coffee CO F F E E C U LTU R E 2 0 18

like “art in a glass.” I want my coffee to look like art in a glass – sign me up! Where can I find one? Local shops now serving nitro coffee include N7 Café (mobile café), SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar (Eau Claire), The Coffee Grounds (Eau Claire), and Bridge Street Brew Coffee Shop (Chippewa Falls).

Cold Brew . Cold brew has been around for quite some time, but it finally making its way into the spotlight in the Chippewa Valley. It is 47

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but simply using a specific tablespoon or scoop each morning will help to streamline the brewing process.

6. Manual Brewing Methods: Try incorporating a manual brewing method such as french press, the moka pot, or a pour over into your home coffee routine. All three of these methods are fairly inexpensive and can drastically improve the flavor quality of your coffee. The french press can highlight the rich body of a coffee, the moka pot makes an intense espresso-like coffee, and the pour over usually brings out a cleaner and fruitier cup. Try pairing these brewing methods with coffees from around the world!

much like steeping a tea bag, except you use cold water and a much longer steeping time. “A 24-hour brew time is essential,” noted Leigh Yakaites, manager of Eau Claire Downtown Coffee (ECDC). This brewing time creates the flavor profile that Yakaites described as a “sweet, silky richness with subtle bright fruit and floral tones infused in a cocoa like body.” Cold brew is offered year-round at the ECDC, but it is often a seasonal summer item at many coffee shops, so get it before the snow starts flying! Where can I find one? You can find cold brew at many chain coffee shops and locally in Eau Claire at Acoustic Café, Grand Avenue Café, SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar, The Coffee Grounds, The Five & Two Café (inside Down to Earth Garden Center), The French Press, and ECDC; in Chippewa Falls at Bridge Street Brew Coffee Shop; and in Menomonie at Acoustic Café and Raw Deal.

CAFFEI N E FIX: CHIPPEWA VALLEY CAFES & COFFEEHOUSES MADISYN KEPHART

420 Internet Cafe 420 Washington St., Eau Claire

• (715) 833-9945 • building420.org Eclectic decor, bamboo floors, and soothing colors are the backdrop for 420 Internet Cafe’s full-service coffee bar and sandwich shop. Try the signature gyro sandwich or the popular chocolate truffle mocha drink along with some baked goods. Internet stations are also available. Operated by Cafe 420 Ministries, a Christian outreach.

Acoustic Café, Eau Claire 505 S. Barstow St., Eau

Marion’s Legacy 632 S. Broadway St., Menomonie •

Claire • (715) 832-9090 • theacoustic.com/eauclaire An art bedecked café with live music during the weekends. Beverage selection features espresso, signature gourmet coffee drinks, iced and hot teas, Italian and French sodas, fruit smoothies, chai latte, and more. Bakedfrom-scratch cookies, muffins, and more. Cafe favorites include pitas, soups, salads, hot hoagies, and more.

(715) 231-2580 • Marion’s Legacy on Facebook Purveyors of delectable artisanal truffles from Legacy Chocolates, plus homemade brownies, cheesecake, cupcakes, scones, and other goodies. Marion’s also serves soup and sandwich lunches daily and has a full coffee bar with espresso drinks.

The Nucleus Café 405 Water St., Eau Claire • (715)

Acoustic Café, Menomonie 102 Main St., Menomonie

235-9300 • theblindmunchies@gmail.com • theblindmunchies.com Blind Munchies features a full coffee bar, a from-scratch bakery, fresh sandwiches made to order, and new food made fresh every morning. Try their famous “Healthy Munchie” sandwiches, salads, or wraps. Keep an eye out for live music and B-movie nights as well as DJ spinning. Vegetarian friendly, breakfast served on Saturday and Sundays.

Bridge Street Brew 114 North Bridge Street, Chippewa Falls • facebook.com/bridgestbrew A midwest coffeehouse serving up all manner of brews from Americano to pour overs. They serve light fare breakfasts like crepes and oatmeal, blended lattes, smoothies, pastries, salads soups.

Cabin Coffee Co. 2922 Meadowlark Lane, Altoona •

cabincoffeecompany.com Cabin Coffee, nestled in Altoona’s new River Prairie district, roasts over 22 types of single origin coffee from Africa, South America, and Indonesia. Breakfast and lunch menus are available all day. Cozy up to a fireplace to relax or study, and kids can enjoy crafts and other activities. Offers recyclable Keurig cups and other environmentally conscious options.

Caffe Tempo 2530 Golf Road, Eau Claire • (715) 8337449 • facebook.com/caffetempo Caffe Tempo serves quality fair-trade organic coffee, tea, espresso drinks, and real-fruit smoothies in a setting that is comfortable and contemporary. Fresh bakery and dessert items – including their signature cannoli and gluten-free items – complement the many beverages.

• 733 Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire • (715) 383-5230 • Proudly serving the Chippewa Valley since 2007, The Living Room offers coffee, tea, specialty drinks, smoothies, ice cream, bakery treats, and hot sandwiches. 720-9800 • foreign5.com/lucys A full-service deli and sandwich shop. Beverage options include a variety of espresso drinks, and local beers and wines. Breakfast is served until 11am. They offer soups, salads, personal pizzas, and sandwiches with Boar’s Head meats & cheeses carved up from the deli counter.

Falls • (715) 720-6165 • Find this Business on Facebook Known for their signature Coffee House Salad, homemade scones, wraps, various baked goods, and nifty little drive-up, 4:30 AM is a coffee mainstay of Chippewa Falls. Serves breakfast and is vegetarian friendly.

Blind Munchies 621 Wilson Ave., Menomonie • (715)

The Living Room Coffee House (inside Mayo Clinic)

Lucy’s Deli 117 N. Bridge St., Chippewa Falls • (715)

4:30 AM Coffee House 608 N. Bridge St., Chippewa

• (715) 235-1115 • An art bedecked café with live music during the weekends. Beverage selection features espresso, signature gourmet coffee drinks, iced and hot teas, Italian and French sodas, fruit smoothies, chai latte, beers, wines and more. Baked-from-scratch cookies, muffins, and more. Cafe favorites include hummus, pitas, soups, salads, hot hoagies, and more.

specialty coffee drinks, and bakery items such as bagels, pretzels, and pastries.

Caribou Coffee & Einstein Bros. Bagels 101 Oak Ave.,

ECDC - Eau Claire Downtown Coffee 333 Gibson

Street, Eau Claire • ecdc.coffee Tucked inside the Lismore hotel in downtown Eau Claire. Expect highquality coffee drinks and food in a swanky space, including a fireplace lounge. The menu includes graband-go breakfasts and salads, made-to-order paninis, and fresh baked goods. A great late night venue with drinks, desserts, and baked goods.

Suite 4, Menomonie • 715 231-2550 • cariboucoffee. com Whether you’re craving something hot or cold to wet your whistle (or a tasty baked treat to go along with it), Caribou has it all. Their decadent specialty drinks are especially popular. This location also includes an Einstein Bros. Bagels, so you’ll find a wide selection of sandwiches and other bagel-based goodies.

Five & Two Café 6025 Arndt Ln., Eau Claire • (715)

Caribou Coffee 4732 Golf Rd., Eau Claire // 2114

833-1234 • eauclairelandscaping.com/cafe Offers a variety of natural foods, and fresh, local produce. Signature favorites include grilled sandwiches, cracker crust pizzas, soups, and a variety of espresso drinks. Breakfast is available with options such as breakfast paninis, wraps, and pizzas. They also feature daily baked goods. Outdoor seating and private party area available, vegetarian friendly.

South Hastings Way, Eau Claire • (715) 839-7494 // 2321 Highway 25 N, Menomonie • (715) 235-3627 // 2615 N. Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire // 1408 Ninth St. E, Menomonie • cariboucoffee.com Whether you’re craving something hot or cold to wet your whistle (or a tasty baked treat to go along with it), Caribou has it all. Their decadent specialty drinks are especially popular. Breakfast items all day.

The French Press 2823 London Rd., Eau Claire •

The Coffee Grounds 4212 Southtowne Drive, Eau

(715) 598-7017 • thefrenchpresseauclaire.com A café, bakery, and coffee house offering fresh, made-fromscratch breakfast and lunch items everyday. Beverage selection includes a wide variety of coffee drinks, iced drinks, smoothies, teas, ciders, and hot chocolates. Cozy up by the fireplace in a rocking chair. Cafe serves up cones, cinnamon buns, sticky rolls, quiches, soups, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and egg dishes.

Claire • (715) 834-1733 • thecoffeegrounds.com The Coffee Grounds is a casual, European-style café with an adjoining gourmet foodstuff/sundries shop and a microbrewery. Their menu is always evolving and offers a variety of baked goods, homemade soups, fresh unique sandwiches, and small plate specials. They small-batch roast their own coffee on-site, and sell bags of beans by the pound.

The Goat Coffee House - Eau Claire 336 Water St.,

Deb’s Café 1120 122nd St., Suite 3, Chippewa Falls

Eau Claire • (715) 831-4491 • thegoatcoffeehouse. com A relaxed, full-scale coffee house. Offers a strong selection of espresso drinks, brewed coffees, blended drinks, teas, smoothies, basics, and more. Serves up fresh sandwiches, breakfasts, scones, muffins, soups, and more. Vegetarian friendly and outdoor seating.

• (715) 833-2233 • debscafe.com Deb’s fast, casual dining offers all-day breakfast, wraps, grilled paninis, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and soups. Their beverage selections include a variety of coffee drinks, iced drinks, frappes, smoothies, and small selection of beer and wine. They’ve also got outdoor seasonal seating.

The Goat Coffee House, Chippewa Falls 2829

Dunkin Donuts 2836 N Clairemont Ave., Eau Claire

County Highway I, Suite 1A, Chippewa Falls • (715) 726-3858 • Find “The Goat” on Facebook Located inside Wissota Health. A relaxed, full-scale coffee house. Offers a strong selection of espresso drinks, brewed coffees, blended drinks, teas, smoothies, basics, and more. Serves up fresh sandwiches, breakfasts, scones, muffins, soups, and more. Vegetarian friendly and outdoor seating.

• An all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Breakfast items are available all day and include a vegetarian option.

Golden Leaf Café 1706 Stout Rd, Menomonie • (715)

231-5323 • goldenleafcafe.com Proud roasters of Cafe Femenino fair trade coffee, which supports women and families globally. Full espresso bar. Gourmet organic, allnatural panini sandwiches, soups, salads, and pies. Peruse the connected specialty shop for foodstuffs and tea. Outdoor seating, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-friendly.

Goldsmith Coffee Bar 22 S Prairie St, Chippewa

Falls • (715) 379-3458 • Located inside the Parish Life Center adjacent to the Heyde Center for the Arts, Goldsmith Coffee Bar offers specialty coffee drinks, non-coffee energy drinks, baked goods, homemade scones, paninis, cakes, and gluten free options.

Grand Avenue Café 119 W. Grand Ave., Eau Claire

• (715) 831-1100 • facebook.com A quaint (and popular) little café known for its sandwiches, quiches, homemade soups, and bread pudding. Capitalize on one of their creative lunch specials. Gourmet espresso, vegetarian friendly, outdoor seating, breakfast served till 11am on weekdays and all day on the weekend.

Joe Muggs (inside BAM! Books-A-Million) 4030

Commonwealth Ave., Eau Claire • (715) 831-4431 • The coffee shop offers free Wi-Fi, brewed coffee,

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834-7777 • thenucleuscafe.com Connected via a convenient hallway to Racy D’lene’s Coffee Lounge, The Nucleus is a cozy café with a European vibe serving breakfast and lunch. Check out the desserts, homemade soups, quiches, omelets, and distinctive sandwiches. The Also a traditional crêperie, offering a variety of dessert and main meal crêpes

Panera Bread 4601 Keystone Crossing, Eau Claire •

(715) 834-9752 • panerabread.com Beverage selection includes several traditional coffee drinks including blended, iced, espresso, signature drinks, as well as speciality iced and hot tea drinks. Full service bakery sells breads, cinnamon buns, cookies, muffins and more. Cafe favorites include mac & cheese, bread bowl soups, and sandwiches.

Racy D’lene’s Coffee Lounge 404 Riverside Ave., Eau Claire • (715) 834-0000 • racydlenes.com Racy’s is a coffee shop with an impressive range of brews. You’ll find hand-crafted, speciality espresso drinks, iced, blended, tea drinks, and many more options. Comfy couches make for a popular student hangout. Offers light sandwiches and breakfast options too.

Raw Deal 603 S. Broadway St., Menomonie • (715)

231-3255 • rawdeal-wi.com Fresh roasts their own fair-trade, organic coffee. They’re fully equipped with an espresso bar, and offer traditional drinks like the americano, latte, cappuccino, and mocha. They have a strong selection of organic teas, and small batch brew their own beers on-site. Their raw-food menu includes creamy green enchiladas, stuff portobellos, and savory cabbage rolls along with desserts, smoothies, sandwiches and more.

SHIFT Cyclery & Coffee Bar 615 Graham Avenue,

Eau Claire • (715) 514-5060 • eaushift.com • A full-service bicycle repair shop, craft coffee bar, and all-around creative lounge. Grab one of their hand-crafted coffee drinks at the bar, or grab a cold brew, some kombucha, tea, and chai. Be sure to grab a street waffle before you leave.

Soul Brewed Coffee Roasters 309 East Grand

Avenue, Eau Claire • Located inside of the Elder Valley Kitchen, Soul Brewed specializes in craft coffee. They small-batch roast their own coffee, sourced from regionally-based bean suppliers, and are plugged into the current trends in coffee-making. Their #1 item is the cold brew, which they offer on tap every day, along with baked goods from the Elder Valley Kitchen.

Starbucks Clairemont Ave 953 W. Clairemont Ave.,

Eau Claire • (715) 836-7320 // 3649 S. Hastings Way, Eau Claire • (715) 838-0196 • starbucks.com Coffee, tea, dessert, and other treats to warm you up, cool you down, or satisfy a craving.

Vino Cappuccino Artisan Bistro - Coffee Bar N5734

Hwy 12, Elk Mound • Find it on Facebook Vino Cappuccino is a new, rustic hideway off the beaten path in Elk Mound. Serves up hot and cold artisanal coffee drinks like lattes, cappuccinos, frappes, steamer coffees, and with a variety of flavors. Made to order, wood-fired pizzas, paninis, salads, desserts like cheesecake and spicy brownies, and more in a relaxed atmosphere.

Xpeditions Coffee Co. & Market 1319 Main St.,

Bloomer • Healthy, cafe-style paninis, wraps, sandwiches, and soups served up with great coffee. A great place to start, finish, or pitstop on your biking expedition. Shop sells wine and freshly made healthy foodstuffs for you to take home.

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