The Caffeine Crawl

I had heard about The Caffeine Crawl for several years, but couldn't justify giving someone else my $ for something that I could do on my own. Then I was given comp. tix last fall for a Saturday afternoon crawl in Johnson County. We went to four shops that I was unfamiliar with and was treated to 4 different presentations focusing on different aspects of the coffee industry; from store histories, pour-over presentations, new product roll-outs, and great question and answer periods with owners, managers and baristas. Tons of samples of beverages and sweets and even a goodie bag of related swag to take home. I was hooked!Yesterday I was able to buy a ticket for the Friday morning spring 2022 crawl kick-off and once again had a great time. Starting at Blip roasters for samples of 3 of the spring menu items and a tour of the entire facility - gift shop, roasting area, and the attached custom bike shop - Anchor Moto. Then on to Messenger Coffee's flagship location for a presentation in their lab to sample and compare Rwandan and Ethiopian pour overs, then a decadent sample of a black sesame and date concoction that blew me away. Final stop at the former Transit Coffee location for a presentation by PH Coffee and a progression of 5 samples ranging from a basic blended roast to their more sophisticated "Unicorn" offerings. Our guide was Jason that founded the Caffeine Crawl a decade ago and was the perfect person to have along as our escort.I can't say enough positive things about the crawl, and the shops that hosted the presentations. I can't wait to buy tickets for the fall event.

This was a blast! Our first time, but we learned a lot and discovered new places we didn't know existed. We went on 2 different crawls this year, and will be back next year!

Third year for me and this time I went to the Friday evening crawl. Same awesome experience with a few new coffee shops. I couldn't do the daytime crawls this year due to scheduling conflicts but each stop was informative and tasty.

I had the pleasure recently to attend the second day of Kansas City's 2012 Caffeine Crawl. Even though I did not sleep that night, I will be sure to attend this event again in the future! I do not in any way claim to be a coffee snob, but I do enjoy and can usually tell when I have the delightful experience of enjoying quality coffee. The days festivities kicked off at The Lab. There we enjoyed coffee brewed in the Kyoto ( not sure if this is correct spelling for this specific type of brew) method. It takes upwards of 4-6 hours to brew and then needs at least 24 hours to set. We drank it cold with a nice ice cube and tons of flavor! We also learned about how to use simple home appliances to start doing some home roasting of our own...popcorn poppers aren't just for kernels anymore! We then moved on to The Roasterie where we learned about large scale roasting and how coffee prep all way back at the farm can change the flavors in coffee brewed right here in KC. Our bus then transported us to The Filling Station where we indulged in some coffee beers and some ridiculously, not on the market yet (sadly), coffee infused bourbons. Holy Coffee Beans! We were told we were the first test group on their fantastic product and I resoundingly say, "please do not keep this from us and please send this to retail!!!!!" Sorry, got worked up there. Mud Pie delighted us with vegan options of lattes which were great. I will definitely be back for their chai with coconut milk. Onward to Quay Coffee, a new River Market haunt of mine, where we learned how to properly perform the all important pour-over and further indulged by munching on Farmhouse's french toast with creme fraiche. We then hauled it out to the JoCo to visit Revocup. The proprietor grew up on an Ethiopian coffee farm and knows the importance of realizing where your coffee comes from and who has worked to get it to you. He and wife shared a wonderful french press and a shot of espresso with all of us. Finally we finished at Latte Land on State Line. There we were educated on what espresso is and is not, how to appreciate the flavors and nuances of it, and how to pair it with a fruit or pastry. It was a long and fun day that I intend on repeating. Though next time I plan on having a bit more self control with all of the free samples... or plan a movie marathon directly after. This event is a must do Kansas City original for anyone who likes or loves our little friend; the coffee bean!