SO-Espressos and SO-Americanos in Wisconsin
No other brewing method draws out more of the nuanced flavor from high quality Single Origins than the SO-Espresso and single and double shot 8oz Americanos (see Espresso Types). When properly temperature and pressure profiled on a quality espresso machine like a LM Strada MP or EP, Slayer, Synesso, or Modbar the flavor extraction an SO-Espresso is simply amazing.
Espresso can be a strong venue to present a great single-origin coffee, because the concentrated extraction highlights its attributes, emphasizing the lemon acidity and salty tomato notes of a Kenyan or highlighting the balance and chocolate of a good Guatemalan. - Fresh Cup
Yet in Wisconsin they are still a rarity on the coffeehouse drink menus, as most only offer traditional darker roasted espresso blends. To make things even worse, the Espresso and Americano are often obscured on the coffeehouse drink menus, hidden behind the overwhelming among of batch brewed,milk and flavor drinks. Rather than having true espresso bars, its seems like there are more dessert drink bars.
Never the less there are a few places that are breaking out of the chain coffeehouse model and offering some amazing SO-Espressos and SO-Americanos. They are either using their own Omni Roasted single origins or pulling their shots with Kickapoo Coffee, Ruby Colorful Coffee, or coffee roasted out of state. My hope is that in time we start to see more coffeehouses like these, as well as more than one option for SO-Espresso on the drink menus.
Known places in Wisconsin offering lighter and brighter SO-Espresso and SO-Americano:
Milwaukee
Kickapoo Coffeehouse in the 3rd-Ward neighborhood
Alderaan Coffee in the Lower Eastside neighborhood
Madison
5th Element Coffee in the Regent neighborhood
Sí Café in the Capital neighborhood
Bradbury‘s Coffee in the Capital neighborhood
Johnson’s Public House in the Tenney-Lapham neighborhood
Kin Kin Coffee Stand in the Tenney-Lapham neighborhood
Appleton and Green Bay Area
TImshel Cafe in Neenah
Luna Cafe in De Pere
