Clyde Coffee

Part of the Fill in the Coffee Map Series

Subject: Clyde Coffee
Location visited: Missoula, MT 
WiFi?: yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]

Navigating a frozen pass is one of the few things I dislike about the northwest mountains. Living on the east coast, we have our share of icy slopes but not many of them exist on an interstate. Just recently, I had to get from Spokane to Missoula around the beginning of March, and since every realistic route involved a major mountain crossing, I just went with the obvious road and took Lookout Pass. Thank the Lord it was mostly thawed by the time I got to it, but the experience still proved slightly harrowing.

Fortunately the drive proved well worth it, as the prospect of great coffee awaited at a shop called Clyde Coffee. Holding a high reputation, Clyde was a place I had been looking to hit for some time, so it felt good to wander into their front doors. The shop is long, with plenty of seating for patrons (I visited pre-Covid so the place was packed) and a stylish yet slightly bohemian decor. 

The coffee comes from various roasters and so my beverages consisted of an espresso of Intelligentsia's Black Cat and a drip coffee of Cirque's Weirdo. The espresso, pulled short/medium with brown crema, smacked of dark chocolate, blood orange, milk, wheat cracker and sugar cookie and a little berry, proving sweet, bright and balanced. The drip also made for a delicious drink, with punchy notes of strawberry, cream, lime, blackberry, cream cheese, arugula and a little cola. 

While the rest of my trip was filled with clear roads and practically no ice, I would have braved another icy mountain pass to visit Clyde again. If you live nearby Missoula or you're passing through, definitely stop by Clyde Coffee. 

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