Bird in Hand

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Bird in Hand Coffee and Books
Location: Baltimore, MD
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Some of my favorite memories involve drinking coffee while perusing through a bookstore. Though some booksellers sadly refuse to embrace the calling of serving excellent coffee, there have been many establishments that do a wonderful job weaving the written word and the well-roasted bean. One such literary oasis new one to my eyes emerged during a recent trip to Baltimore, when I found that Artifact Coffee and The Ivy Bookshop had created a beautiful space adjacent to Johns Hopkins campus in Charles Village called Bird in Hand.

Arriving late in the afternoon, I managed to parallel park on a side street and made my way over to their beautiful glass storefront, complete with plenty of outside seating. Inside, the tall ceilings and shelves of books made for a peaceful atmosphere full of various seating spreading through the cafe. 

As for their coffee, they serve up Counter Culture and after some deliberation, I decided to imbibe an espresso of their Hologram blend and a pourover of a Kigoma Rwanda coffee. The espresso, pulled short/medium with brown crema, tasted of sweet chocolate chip cookies, lim, cola, ginger and a little arugula, proving delicious and well-pulled. The pourover also delivered a toothsome brew, full of  juicy, smooth notes of crisp apple, cherries, strawberries, cookie dough, honey, lavender and (again) a touch of arugula. 

After sitting for awhile to drink the place in and pop through a few books, I polished off my beverages and left around closing time, truly delighted to have found this fantastic collaboration. If you happen to travel near Baltimore, definitely make a stop at Bird in Hand for some delightful coffee and a good read. 

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