Nashville is lousy with coffee houses and roasters. I have done a truly shameful job of investigating any of them, as I tend to stick to my 7 a.m. Kroger swill at home and the occasional Dunkin’ drive-thru extra large hot with cream and sugar (which I consider a real treat). My routine is busted and sad, it’s true.
Nick gave us a bag of Velo-roasted beans from Chattanooga for Christmas. It had been so long since I’d ground my own beans at home that the coffee tasted incredible to my tired old tastebuds. I’d forgotten what good coffee tasted like and now I can’t get enough.
So I am on a mission: Try the brews from 12 Nashville coffee roasters. I don’t even know if there are that many local roasters. I just liked the sound of “12 Days of Coffee.” If I run out of roasters, I will just move on to local coffee houses I’ve not yet been to and try some of their specialty drinks.
I’m doing diligent (read: kiiiinda lazy) Google research but I want to hear from you seasoned locals, too. What needs to bubble up to the top of my list? Are there particular roasts at particular places I should not miss? I’m all ears. And tastebuds.
In this order:
Crema. So good. Beautifully roasted.
Eighth and Roast.
Drew’s Brews.
Not local but if you want to splurge, Barista sells beans from Intelligentsia (I’m a fan), Stumptown (ditto).
Nashville has a ton of options I’m sure, but Just Love Coffee Roasters in Murfreesboro is as delicious as it is heart warming. A bit of their proceeds go to non-profit organizations, and their coffee is delectable. If you run out of Nashville locations this is a great option for your list.
https://justlovecoffee.com/about/company-history/