BY KRISTYN WADE
SPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE
The coffee scene in Denver is taking over the world one woman at a time. Whether it’s the barista who serves you your cappuccino, the owner who appreciates every single person who walks in their door, or the roaster’s family who is the backbone of the coffee production, there is a collection of people in the Mile High City who are changing the way coffee’s done. The feminine wave that is neither a number nor a statistic but rather a movement of empowerment can be detected everywhere throughout the city.
Denver is located in the center of a basin, east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains determined to lure the rain shadows just a little closer to coarse the ground with that misty mountain feel. And with so much diversity, growth, and movement, a cappuccino is deserved for your motivation and creation. So where should we go? The better question is, where shouldn’t we go?
Since the debut of Pablo’s Coffee in 1995, the city has cultivated legends of the beloved arabica plant with connection from second to third wave. Novo Coffee continued to expand early adoption in 2002 when the Brodsky family set out to define how relationships with consumers and producers really make a difference. Since then, we have seen Boxcar Coffee, Commonwealth Coffee, Huckleberry Roasters, MiddleState Coffee, Sweet Bloom, and others pave the wave for intentional coffee community.
Community is the crucial factor in Denver. Community isn’t about trying to get ahead of the competitor or even having a competitor for that matter. It isn’t about the fame and fortune that come with the ideas of just one person. And it isn’t even about the finish line. It is the journey in getting there which makes or breaks an entity. See it at the Thursday Night Throwdowns for all the baristas and amateur coffee lovers to get together, drink local brews, and pour some tulips or rosettas just for fun (and conquering the fear of being watched while making espresso.) Feel it walking into Crema Coffeehouse where roasters from all over the country and city are presented and crafted in a beautifully co-designed facility by their own tribe; Purple Door where the bright shining door/beacon of hope offers anyone of any stage in financial life to have a place to sit or work; and Amethyst Coffee which exemplifies how holistic, minimalistic, and efficient can effect the coffee goer experience.
So what is that experience that we all long for with every coffee shop we visit and sit in for hours? What is the majestic meaning behind its lure or people watching enticement? It’s the feminine identity, which we define here as whole, creative, delicate, crafted, and gentle. This loving characteristic that welcomes all to a warm, inviting environment impacts the experience directly. Were the needs of the customer taken care of? What kind of music was playing? What art is represented on the walls? Who is looking at the customer in the eye, engaging in connection? These are all important in the sub-conscious level in determining where to go for the afternoon espresso or the 7 a.m. pastry. In Denver, Colo., gender equality is the standard.
œIt’s the daily presentations,” says Mary Oliver of Mindful. Every detail: from what the barista chooses to wear in the morning, keeping in mind both utilitarian, comfort, and expression, to the glassware and art chosen to pour so the Instagram picture will achieve boost and likes alike, and even the conversation that is made or not made from walking in the portal and exiting a new person. Communication is 95% non verbal. Communication is eye-contact, smiling, intuitively feeling, and believing the product and service received is of the value and worth deserved. With so many different levels, it could seem quite complicated and yet it is so simple: it is the majestic nature of the woman to care and to love.
It is Breezy from Crema who knows how to make you feel right at home with her fierce hair and demeanor of a queen ruler. It is Grace at Huckleberry who will tell you her 100% truth with a heart melting laugh because thats what important. It’s Elle and Annie at Amethyst who can make any rush seem like it’s nothing but the wind beneath their hair. It’s Melissa at Novo Coffee that defines consistency, stability, and quality. And if you catch it in just the right sunlight, you might even see your own wondrous moment of contemplation.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kristyn Wade is a Texan barista for Novo Coffee in Denver, Colorado whose passion is to bring coffee and yoga together through interaction, smiling, and being curious. She enjoys brewing siphons, networking and traveling for coffee, biking and breathing.
I heard that coffee is excellent in Denver.