Coffee Pros on Their Best Cup of Joe

A cup of coffee is the start of many mornings. It’s also the context for important meetings, first dates, and lazy afternoons spent with a book.

Legend has it that coffee fruit was discovered after an Ethiopian goat herder noticed how the plants energized his goats. Nowadays, they’re farmed in many countries with soil and climate conditions similar to those of their natural habitat–a land bridge between Asia & Africa known as Ethiopia! The combination these elements create creates a range aromas/tastes which can be cultivated by farmers or processed into delicious beverages at roasters before being served up from baristas around town- no matter what your preference may be.

To give some pointers and help narrow down options, we talked to a few Denver industry pros to hear their takes on the best places to get coffee around town.

Vivi Lemus (left) and Kristin Lacy have done their coffee research while opening their own shop.
CREDIT: Noah Thomas

Kristin Lacy and Vivi Lemus will be opening Convivio Café in a few months. It will be the first bilingual, Guatemalan-inspired, women-owned coffee shop in Denver with the goal of connecting people to each other and to the coffee farmers. Lacy and Lemus met in 2015 at Re:Vision, a nonprofit in Southwest Denver. The pair quickly bonded over their shared passion for food, drink, culture, and hospitality; their experiences living in Guatemala, Lemus’ home country and where Lacy spent years doing agricultural development work; and how community connects it all.

They found it hard to narrow their choices for best Denver coffees, but stuck to the guiding principle of learning as they taste. They gravitate to coffee shops that are open and transparent about where their beans come from and who grew them, and that have an atmosphere that allows anyone to feel comfortable.

Copper Door’s cups
CREDIT: Claire Duncombe

Copper Door Coffee Roasters

“What we love about Copper Door is that it’s another woman-owned company in Denver. They are very conscientious of the farmers they support, and they put emphasis on supporting women and how their coffee is sourced. It’s also a really cool space.”—Vivi Lemus

Cultura Chocolate

“It’s not particularly a coffee shop, but they serve amazing beverages and food, and it’s something for the community. The owner and chef is just amazing. Her chocolate is sourced ethically…There’s all sorts of options. It’s a place that champions small producers and community. It’s one of our favorite places to go and get coffee and a bite.”—Vivi Lemus

Prodigy Coffeehouse

“They are a nonprofit coffeehouse, and they hire youth from Denver and train them in specialty coffee, hospitality, mentorship, and career readiness. We love their values and the mission. Some of their apprentices are training us about specialty coffee. It’s really fun to have teachers that are younger but more experienced in some ways.”—Kristin Lacy

Bardo’s drinks come in all the colors of the rainbow.
CREDIT: Chris Graves

The Bardo Coffee House

“Personally, I go to Bardo a lot. It’s a really welcoming space. There are always people of radically different ages there. And there are some tables where there’s a sign that says, ‘This table is meant for sharing,’ which lets people know if you are willing to share your table. That supports the community and getting to know one another.”—Kristin Lacy

Jubilee Roasting Co.

“They also not only have really amazing coffee, but they welcome different groups of people, especially the first one they opened in Aurora. They went into a neighborhood that typically gets overlooked to create a gathering place. They’re also very kind and open to collaborations.”—Vivi Lemus

Table Public House

“It’s on the South Platte River bike trail, which is one reason we love it. They’re really engaged with the community and trying to live that idea of a public house and a third place where people can gather. People can go there for coffee, or to learn about food pantries and food assistance, or to have presentations. It’s really a community-embedded coffeehouse, and it’s kid-friendly. They have a beautiful play area inside the coffeehouse. We’ve had many meetings there.” —Kristin Lacy

Copper Door’s Hannah Ulbrich at work.
CREDIT: Courtesy Copper Door

In addition to being highlighted by Lemus and Lacy, Copper Door Coffee Roasters’ owner Hannah Ulbrich was also one of the industry professionals we asked to share thoughts on getting coffee in the area. Ulbrich claims that she had her first cup of coffee at age two and never looked back. She studied the beverage as a barista, bar-back, and manager before becoming a roaster. She took over Copper Door in 2014, and now runs its three locations (at Denver Botanic Gardens, the Yard development, and in the Lowry neighborhood). She is also a literature professor and mother of two. Copper Door will be expanding with another location in Littleton this fall.