The coffee scene in California’s capital has been growing apace over the last few years, with a number of prestigious roasters now operating in the city. Head on down to one of these coffee shops in Sacramento.
Since it was established in 2005, the multi-award-winning Temple Coffee has become a recognized powerhouse not just in Sacramento but in the entire world. Its Ethiopia Yirgacheffe ECX was voted as 2013’s best coffee by CoffeeReview.com. They advocate a farm-to-cup process, emphasizing the importance of the source of their beans and the entire supply chain. Try a blended or single-origin espresso at one of their three modern locations in Sacramento, or one of their rarer coffees prepared in a French press or in the pour-over style.
The central aim of Insight Coffee Roasters is that the quality and subtle flavors of their product should be enough for the customers of their cafes who won’t have to rely on additives or gimmicks to enjoy it. Care is taken over every aspect of getting the coffee to the cup, from sourcing and farming to roasting and brewing. All four of Insight’s Sacramento branches feature impeccable contemporary design and operate manual lever espresso machines and manual brew bars – they take craft coffee very literally here.
Roaster Jason Griest and baker Tim Jordan came together to form Old Soul Co., combining their love of coffee and baked goods to form a boutique coffeehouse that would resist commodification and promote craftsmanship. They source directly from Ethiopia, Mexico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, and Honduras, traveling across the world to establish relationships with producers. In addition to roasting their beans in Sacramento, they also host live music and art installations, run educational classes, and helm initiatives aimed at improving the lives of those in the community.
The importance of quality and integrity to the team here at Chocolate Fish Coffee is such that they visit their growers every year, ensuring that their farmers are adhering to sustainable farming practices. They also believe in freshness, only using beans that have been harvested in the last 12 months and roasting them in small batches. Their baristas have competed at both the regional and national level, and the company helped in the creation of the Sacramento Public Latte Art Tournament and the city’s now annual Specialty Coffee Week. Try their flat white or one of the nitro or flash-brew concoctions.
Built from the ground up, Naked Coffee now have two Naked Lounge coffeehouses in Sacramento complete with espresso machines and grinders from esteemed makers La Marzocco and Mazzer. They serve a range of specialty beverages in addition to their single-origin coffees, like the Kerouac (four shots of espresso with a touch of condensed milk and cream, shaken over ice in a martini glass). There’s also the Mocha Thai (a blend of espresso and Ghirardelli and Mexican Barra chocolate with condensed milk, piled high with whipped cream).
