Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Groundswell Coffee Roasters




Subject: Groundswell Coffee Roasters
Location Visited: 4839 N. Damen Ave, Chicago IL
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

While Chicago usually bequeaths a tough winter fit for a caribou, the occasional mild days make walking the city streets a fairly pleasant jaunt. Naturally, when I take such an outing, one of Chicago's many excellent coffeehouses will be on my route. Always on the hunt for new-to-me establishments, I found myself out for a stroll one morning that ended at the doorstep of Groundswell Coffee's North Damen outpost.

Blessed with a beautiful glass front, the shop almost felt part of the sidewalk. At the time of my visit, the place was beautifully decked out for Christmas, but even in the absence of the merry decor, the default interior layout made for a roomy, charming shop.  

Regarding their self-roasted coffee offerings, I went with a Brazil single origin and a Guatemalan via filtered infusion (aka drip coffee from a thermal dispenser). The espresso, pulled short/medium with tannish-brown crema, smacked of chocolate, caramel, blackberry, cookies, sweet pears and ginger ale, proving toothsome, sparkling and smooth (and while not that important, I feel I should note that they magnanimously gave me an entire can of seltzer with my espresso). Also proving delicious and sweet was their Guatemala, belting out notes of raspberry leaf tea, chocolate, corn muffin, whole milk, raisin and rusks. 

Delighted with my experience, I finished my drinks and cheerily made my way out to continue my stroll. When you're next in Chicago, head over to one of Groundswell's three locations for a great cup of coffee. 



These wonderful folks made this visit possible in part. Make sure to check them out!

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