In the spirit of this year’s 50th celebration of the Superbowl – we thought it would be fun to compare and contrast the two rival cities in this year’s matchup: Denver and Charlotte – when it came to their individual coffee scenes. While Cupa Cabana’s birth and growth began in Charlotte, NC and we have a little bit of a home advantage when it comes to navigating the caffeine havens in the Queen City – we quickly realized that Denver’s coffee scene was one of the most fast-paced, evolving, and flourishing in the USA. A fitting matchup when you take all things into account for both coffee and football.
Let the games begin.
Denver Craft Coffee Scene
Photo Credit: CNN.com
Amongst the many articles that were written throughout 2015 about the booming coffee movements in Denver, one article from Magazine 5280 talked about how the city’s expectations for coffee had become comparable to the very same premium quality they strived for when it came to craft beer. (And that was pretty high).
Co-founder of the Rocky Mountain Craft Coffee Alliance Christopher Schooley noted that Denverites have become accustomed to getting—and paying for—quality. “Because of beer, there’s an educated consumer who understands that you’re not just paying a premium for a brand.”
Denver’s craft beer scene is regarded as one of the fastest growing in the nation – so we can only assume the coffee business will follow suit.
Thrillist put together a list of 17 craft coffee shops to visit while in Denver. You can find the article here.
The Perfect Elements
Photo Credit: Trinity Web Media
Elevation and water quality play into the makings of an optimized cup of coffee. Fresh snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains filters down and creates one of the best tasting water supplies in the nation – while the elevation of the Mile High City creates a boiling phenomenon that some other cities cannot share. Due to the higher elevation – water boils at a lower temperature, therefore – the odds of scalding your coffee and giving it a burnt taste are less apt to happen. Boxcar Colorado has harnessed a different method of brewing due to this occurrence – read more about it here.
Superbowl aside, Denver is a win when it comes to a really quality cup of coffee. Let’s see what happens when Charlotte has its turn in the next Cupa Cabana blog post.
