Cafe Visit: Spyhouse Coffee Roasting Co. Minneapolis, MN

Spyhouse Waiting on a Friend

Spyhouse Coffee Roasting Co. is probably one of, if not the, best known specialty coffee roasters and cafes in Minneapolis. I’m here for a conference for a few days and I had a bit of time to get into town this morning for a quick espresso run, so I decided on their Whittier location. I was there bright and early before 7am, so it wasn’t too busy yet, but with lots of seating a comfortable-modern decor I can imagine this cafe fills up nicely at peak times. The polished La Marzocco expresso machine is a work of art and I was really digging the aesthetic of the place which is a mix of modern and industrial yet comfortable and inviting, too.

Spyhouse Interior 1

Spyhouse Interior 2

For coffees I ordered a cortado made from their Orion espresso blend and a single origin espresso shot that I assume was their Agua Blanca. The straight shot was bright and sweet and super fruity. I was getting lots of cherry notes, very lime acidity with a touch of bitterness that added nice complexity and almond in the finish. There was a bit of lactic component to the sweetness and tartness, too, and the espresso had a milky/creamy mouthfeel and tone to the aftertaste, too. It was complex and definitely bright, but balanced enough that I wasn’t worried about losing the enamel from my teeth! The gal behind the counter did a great job pulling the shot. The cortado was really interesting. I was expecting chocolatey/nutty/caramely and that’s not at all what I got. The flavors I did get were unusual and hard to describe, but not bad at all. The drink seemed very “tropical” to me, for lack of a better descriptor. I picked up some not-quite-bubblegum and not-quite-banana and some other “not-quites” from this drink… it flitted around familiar flavors and notes but just not-quite in each case. I enjoyed the cortado and it was well-made. I’d have to have a couple more to get a better handle on the flavors I was getting, but it was a nice surprise and tasty.

Spyhouse Cortado and Espresso

On the way in a few blocks south of the cafe I noticed Glam Doll Donuts with a long line out the door. I swear on Instagram it’s “National Donut Day” every two weeks but they assured me that today is National Donut Day. LOL So I picked up four donuts to sample and they were all good. Now for two days of meetings and presentations, but I have plenty of fuel to run on, for sure!

Glam Doll Donuts