I am not sure about you but I have been missing my morning commute to work since March. There are so many things that I miss about that commute, but one thing that sticks out is stopping for coffee en route to the office.
I loved grabbing a cup of coffee on my way to the office, it was my favourite part of my day. My morning routine consisted of grabbing that cup of Joe (ordering a Flat White on days I felt fancy) and blasting my fav Spotify playlist as I drove in, singing as loud as I could, thinking I could carry this note, because I could be the next Lady Gaga…
So a lot has changed since March, a lot. Not only have I stopped singing aloud to my favourite playlist, afraid that my neighbours would hear and not be able to look me in the eyes anymore when we cross paths out on our front steps, but my coffee game started to become weak.
The coffee beans that I used to pick up at the grocery store, was perfectly fine when I wasn’t going to work on the weekends, but to have it every single day, seven days a week, it just didn’t do it for me before I started my work day.
So I started to search some of the local coffee shops near by to see who carried what – from roasts to price and delivery. There were a ton of local coffee shops in the city – some I was familiar with and some I didn’t even know existed and was eager to try. I was officially on the hunt to find the next cup of coffee that would make me sing at the top of my lungs again, ready to take on the day!
A Variety of Coffee Beans, Right at Your Fingertips
I came across a site called The Daily Grind 519, where they carry a great selection of coffee and teas from coffee shops in the 519 area. After a couple of hours trying to decide what beans I wanted to try first, I was able to narrow it down to three different coffee beans from three different roasters.
Coffee Beans # 1 – Hacienda Roasting Company
Hacienda Roasting Company is located in Kitchener, Ontario. They use only in-season beans that are collected from around the world and to guarantee freshness, they are roasted in custom batches.
I tend to enjoy the medium and medium/dark roast coffee so this one in particular caught my eye. After reading that this coffee has hints of chocolate, orange zest and caramel, I added it to my cart instantly! It could be my sweet tooth talking, but I could really taste the chocolate note, which was perfect with just a splash of milk in my cup.
Coffee Beans # 2 – Cavan Coffee
Cavan Coffee is located in Guelph, Ontario. Started by 3 brothers with one goal in mind – coffee on their terms, with no exceptions. With a wide selection of coffee roasts, it may be hard to choose just one. I decided on the La Esperanza Dark, which was a medium-dark roast. This roast had notes of butter, barley, carob and malt. It was definitely delicious and a great start to my mornings.
Coffee Beans # 3 – Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters
Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters is also located in Kitchener, Ontario. They roast in small batches, and all their coffee is transparently sourced and Direct Trade. I stopped by the coffee shop a few times last year for a flat white. It always hit the spot and the atmosphere and music were perfect (I would have stayed there all day if I could). The roast I chose was also a medium-dark, called Night Time Hippy Girl.
Night Time Hippy Girl has become a staple in our pantry. I enjoy it every morning before I start my day.
If you are interested in trying some new coffee and want to support local, I highly recommend checking out The Daily Grind 519. This is a great way to explore some new coffee (and teas too!) from a selection of different coffee roasters in the 519 area. Show your support and shop local!