Daniel B.
Yelp
Taproom Coffee opened April 2014 in the Kirkwood neighborhood of Atlanta. Taproom serves specialty coffee and beer. The business was successfully funded by a Kickstarter campaign (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/taproomcoffee/taproom-coffee-specialty-coffee-and-craft-beer-bar). It's a really cool coffeehouse that has quickly made a fan out of me.
The coffee shop has an open, modern design. The interior looks like it was lifted directly off the pages of a catalog. Simple and aesthetically pleasing. I like how the walls transition from concrete to tile to wood. During the daytime, natural light fills the space. At night, the seating area is illuminated by dozens of hanging bare bulbs. The cafe seats about 40. There's seating by the windows, a long communal table in the center of the shop, and several smaller two-tops. There's free Wi-Fi and a casual, laid back atmosphere. This is a great place to unwind and hang out.
I'm not a beer drinker so I've only had the coffee and tea here. Taproom has partnered with and serves Counter Culture Coffee. The coffee menu includes espresso, macchiato, cortado (espresso cut with a small amount of warm milk), cappuccino, lattes (including vanilla and caramel), mocha, Americano (diluted espresso), cafe au lait (French coffee with milk), iced coffee, drip coffee (mornings only), and manual pourover coffees by the cup. Outside of coffee, there are various hot teas, chai tea latte, and simple smoothies. Expect to spend about $3-6 for a cup or more of each of these items. There's also a limited selection of foods such as breads, muffins, Danishes, pies, and other assorted pastries.
For a fun and neat experience, order something from the Manual Pourover Bar. You get 16 ounce servings of brewed-to-order coffee. The selection of manual pourover brews varies. The coffees you will find are unique, high quality, and organic. Examples include Elias Benata from Ethiopia (natural sun-dried), La Golondrina from Colombia, Baroida from Papua New Guinea, and Aida's Grand Reserve from El Salvador. The latter, as its name implies, comes from a special reserve lot from renowned coffee producer Aida Batlle. Her special reserve lots are bid upon and come with high price tags. At Taproom, a 16 ounce serving of her Grand Reserve coffee was priced at $10.
Taproom provides details for several of the coffees if you're interested. Details include origin/history (e.g elevation, processing technique) and helpful tasting notes for the true coffee connoisseur (of which I am not). The notes are helpful to me, however, in deciding which coffees to select from earthy to savory to floral to fruity to chocolate to sweet & sugary (coffee flavor wheel). When in doubt, ask one of the friendly and knowledgeable baristas. Here's a video I shot of the Manual Pourover Bar: http://instagram.com/p/vbIdoCwBnX/.
Great presentation on everything here from a simple macchiato to tea to the manual pourover coffee. The manual pourover coffee and special teas are served on small wooden trays. Along with beautiful cups/mugs, extra coffee and tea are stored in sealed glass bottles. Special teas also come with a miniature pitcher with tea leaves, which can be refilled with hot water at the counter. The baristas will let you know the recommended steeping times for each tea.
Service is fantastic. The friendly owner, Jonathan Pascual, is a genuine coffee enthusiast and local coffee shop master, having opened and managed various coffee shops around town including Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee and the coffee bar at Empire State South.
Taproom is located in what looks like a small mixed-use/mixed-retail development in Kirkwood on Hosea L Williams Dr. Free street parking is available directly outside. There's also a free parking lot in the back.