Location: Minneapolis, MN
Free WiFi ? : yes
Rating: 6+ [see key]
A lot of coffee establishments promote sustainability and social justice, but very few seem as entrenched as Peace Coffee of Minneapolis. Created initially by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy to help coffee farmers find a consistent well-paying outlet for their coffee, Peace Coffee operates on what looks like a pretty large scale, always looking to offer coffee that will help the farmer and good ol' Earth.
But unlike many crusading coffee entities bent on saving the world, Peace Coffee actually has earned a reputation for outputting a good cup of coffee as well, both in their whole beans as well as in their store. Wanting to try out the retail arm in a proverbial arm wrestle, I left a piece of my schedule wide open for a piece of peace, quiet and coffee at Peace Coffee.
Prancing over to their Wonderland Park location, I found an unmissable blood red brick building with plenty of outside seating and large open windows. Within, the space is spacious, minimal and inviting, with bright colors, an array of places to sit and lots of cool accents (I like the disco ball).
For my beverages, I ordered a pourover of their Guatemalan and an espresso of their Espresso Blend. The Guatemalan proved delicious, with notes of prune, hay, light cocoa and hazlenet in a light/medium body. The espresso, pulled short with dark brown crema, held a peaceful balance of flavors, with blood orange and pepper balancing out with chicken broth, raisin and spearmint.
I humbly submit that I thoroughly enjoyed my coffee and time at Peace Coffee. If you're in town and you're looking for some great coffee, give Peace a chance.
