Shop Visit: Tierra Coffee Roasters

[portfolio_slideshow]

This is old, and I no longer stand by the following words as a lot has changed since I wrote this.

This past week I stopped by Tierra Coffee Roasters on Madison to see what they’ve been up to. They’ve changed a lot of things in the space that was once known as the Muddy Cup, to the point that the single thing I was able to recognize was the long wood table. If you’re not already familiar, the space is now a cafe owned by Tierra Farms, which is based out of Valatie. They specialize in nut roasting, dried fruits, and trail mixes, and have more recently become involved in Fair Trade coffees. The shops got all sorts of food, including soups, sandwiches, salads, paninis and of course tons of vegan options.

It’s no secret that I’m an enormous coffee snob and when family was over and I was out of coffee, I bought a bag of Blonde Roast from Tierra. My expectations were admittedly low, but once I brewed a pot of coffee, I was quite shocked with the result. After talking to the guys at Tierra, they clued me in on the coffee roasting schedule so I’d be able to grab a bag of coffee that was roasted earlier that same day, which I’ve been doing for a few weeks now. My only nitpicky complaint about their coffee is that the bags don’t have a roasted on date on ’em, which isn’t that common, but would be nice to have.

Not only are they stocking small-batch self-roasted beans in addition to their big cafe menu, they’ve also started to do single-cup Chemex method brewing for those who ask. Rumor also has it that they’re getting in a few Aeropresses to have another brewing method for a single cup of coffee. This is definitely a first for any shop in Albany, and a big leap forward for coffee culture here. During my visit, I shared a Chemex of the blonde roast and they did everything spot on; got the water up to the right temp, rinsed the filter, did the 30-second pre-infuse, all of it. Ron, the manager at Tierra, told me about future plans for coffee tastings, including all their roasts and brew methods.

They’re close to getting their cabaret license so they can begin to do open mic nights again, and in addition to coffee, patrons can opt for a beer as well. Whether it’s at open mic night or just to be able to enjoy a beer in a non-bar atmosphere, it’s pretty cool that they’ve got a cooler full of craft brews.

Next time you’re in the area, stop in for a soup, a sandwich and a coffee, and stop back later that night and grab a beer and a baked good. This place is so much better than it was in its previous iterations; you won’t be disappointed. Hit the jump or click the photo above to launch the gallery.