7 Best Denver Specialty Coffee Roasters
The specialty coffee scene in Denver is incredibly rich and diverse. Nobody’s taste preferences will be left behind in this great city’s roasteries and coffee shops.
Therefore, every coffee lover should make a point to visit Denver and take a tour around their coffee places.
The best Denver specialty coffee roasters are Corvus Coffee Roasters, Kaladi Coffee Roasters, Middle State Coffee, Pablo’s Coffee, Little Owl Coffee, Queen City Collective Coffee, and Method Coffee Roasters.
In this article, I’ll take you through a list of my favorite coffee roasters in Denver.
They’re in no particular order, and I’ll say a few words about the background and origins of each, as well as what they offer regarding coffee and atmosphere.
Let’s get started!
1. Corvus Coffee Roasters
Corvus Coffee Roasters is a company well known in the Denver area for its cold brew.
However, no matter how excellent it is, it’s not the only high-quality product they offer.
Corvus sells a great choice of specialty coffees and unique blends you simply have to try.
They sell only the highest quality coffee, handpicked and grown with the greatest possible care.
The company buys the coffee directly from farmers in Latin America and Africa, which has created lasting relationships and ensured that they get the best beans possible.
They are open in two locations in Denver, on South Broadway and Newport Street.
Their coffee shops are known as very pleasant places where you can enjoy your favorite coffee while basking in the sunshine.
They offer 11 varieties of coffee with unique tones and aromas, so you’re bound to find something you like.
You can only get whole bean coffee because the company believes you have to grind coffee within 30 minutes of brewing for the best taste.
You can pick their coffee up directly, but you can also opt for their subscription service.
You can get your coffee once or twice a month, and the delivery is included in the price.
Depending on your needs, you can choose between a single 12-ounce bag or a double.
Overall, Corvus Coffee Roasters is a must-visit place for any dedicated coffee lover.
You won’t go home disappointed.
| Website | https://www.corvuscoffee.com |
| Pack sizes | 12 oz / 2 lb / 5 lb (340 / 907 / 2268 grams) |
| Bag price | $18+ |
| Whole bean & ground? | Only whole bean |
| Subscription service? | Yes |
2. Kaladi Coffee Roasters
The company was founded by Andrew Melnick and Mark Overly in 2000.
They wanted to revitalize the specialty coffee scene because they believed it had devolved into another way of running faceless franchises that offered over-sweetened drinks with very little coffee.
They wanted to focus on roasting coffee sourced from farmers with sustainable and ethical business practices in an independent setting.
They want to empower their local community, so they don’t strive to create a franchise. Instead, they supply the locals with high-quality freshly-roasted coffee.
It’s very interesting to see a business with such firm ethics, and it’s even better to see such a business thrive for over 20 years.
The company is named after the legendary Ethiopian farmer Kaladi, who saw that his goats had been eating some red berries.
He tried those berries and instantly felt refreshed and awake.
From Kaladi, the berries got to a monk from a nearby monastery, who quickly figured out a way to make a refreshing drink out of those berries.
The company now offers more than 20 blends from across Africa and Latin America.
This makes their choice extremely broad, so it’s impossible not to find something you like there.
They offer in-store pickup, but there is also a subscription service if you like your favorite coffee delivered to your doorstep.
Their prices are not particularly steep, so you can enjoy their specialty coffee even if your budget is not particularly big.
| Website | https://kaladicoffee.com |
| Pack sizes | 1 lb / 5 lb (456 / 2268 grams) |
| Bag price | $15.50+ |
| Whole bean & ground? | Whole beans and various grinds |
| Subscription service? | Yes |
3. Middle State Coffee
Middle State Coffee is known for the casual, laid-back atmosphere in its coffee shop.
The coffee shop itself is in a renovated brick building and is done up in a minimalistic style that appeals to many.
It is in an industrial area but is more than worth a visit.
The crew from the roastery is very meticulous when selecting their coffees. They try to test as many coffees as possible before picking what they like most.
After that, they strive to preserve the taste and feeling they got when first testing the coffee.
They try to find unusual coffee from small farms. They favor the coffee that showcases the grower’s passion, hard work, and place of origin.
The crew especially favors complex notes and flavors that leave you wanting more.
This dedication to detail means that their coffee has a complex and sophisticated taste.
Their San Augustin coffee, for example, has notes of pomegranate, apple, and green custard.
This is not a flavor profile you can get in many places, so it’s absolutely worth checking out.
You can also order a sample pack with four coffees if you’re unsure where to start.
That will help you figure out what you like and should order in the future. I’d say that’s a pretty sweet deal!
They also have a great subscription service that’s completely customizable. You can pick exactly how many bags you want every week or month, and they’ll be delivered to you regularly.
You’ll also get free shipping for subscription orders above $60, so you’ll save money in the long run.
| Website | https://www.middlestatecoffee.com |
| Pack sizes | 12 oz / 5 lb (340 / 2268 grams) |
| Bag price | 18.50+ |
| Whole bean & ground? | Whole bean and instant coffee |
| Subscription service? | Yes |
4. Pablo’s Coffee
Pablo’s Coffee is one of the oldest (if not the oldest) establishments on this list. It’s been around since 1995 and has since become a true powerhouse on the coffee scene of Denver.
You can find it in three locations. There’s one on East Colfax and two on Capitol Hill, which makes it quite accessible.
Pablo’s Coffee is focused on getting the highest-quality coffee from ethical sources, and they spare no expense on their journey towards achieving that goal.
The company prefers to source its coffee from small farmers and legal associations of producers to ensure that no one is hurt in the process.
Just as much effort is dedicated to finding the tastiest coffee for their consumers.
You’ll find an excellent choice of coffee at Pablo’s, whether you want to take it home to brew yourself or have a nice cup of coffee in one of their coffee shops.
Considering their coffee’s quality and ethical sourcing, it comes at pretty reasonable prices, so your budget won’t be blown.
There is also a lot to choose from, so even a picky palate will be easily satisfied.
You can also subscribe to their coffee and choose how much you want and when.
They’ll treat you to free shipping for orders over $50, so you’ll probably be tempted to make a big bulk order so you can taste-test everything they have to offer.
| Website | https://www.pabloscoffee.com |
| Pack sizes | 12 oz / 2 lb / 5 lb (340 / 907 / 2268 grams) |
| Bag price | $15+ |
| Whole bean & ground? | Whole beans and different grounds |
| Subscription service? | Yes |
5. Little Owl Coffee
Little Owl Coffee is a tight-knit team of passionate coffee lovers who try their best to give their customers the best coffee-drinking experience.
It’s a small place in downtown Denver, but it attracts many people with its high-quality service and coffee.
While most coffee roasters sell blends, Little Owl sells only single-origin coffee. If you’re not a fan of blends, Little Owl will be quite a breath of fresh air on the coffee scene.
They also offer a broad range of coffees, so there will surely be something for you.
Their business model is based on two principles: passion and compassion.
They believe they should do things passionately and pour their hearts into each cup of coffee and each bag of freshly-roasted beans.
They also believe they should be as kind and friendly as possible, sharing a positive vibe with everyone who enters their door.
The crew knows that a bad vibe can ruin a perfect cup of coffee while a good atmosphere can improve a mediocre cup.
However, they try to provide both perfect coffee and perfect service.
Their coffee is not among the cheapest on this list, but it’s absolutely worth it for a passionate coffee lover looking for the best coffee experience.
As usual, you can go directly to their shop to pick up your coffee, or you can order online.
There’s also a subscription service. You can choose between the Mild package and the Wild package.
The quantity is usually limited to one 12-ounce bag per delivery, but you can choose how often you want to get it, so it will be hard to run out of coffee.
| Website | https://www.littleowlcoffee.com |
| Pack sizes | 12 oz / 5 lb (340 / 2268 grams) |
| Bag price | $18+ |
| Whole bean & ground? | Whole bean only |
| Subscription service? | Yes |
6. Queen City Collective Coffee
This is a fairly new roastery hailing from the historic Baker neighborhood. It was founded by the Byington brothers, who had spent years in Africa working on humanitarian projects.
Upon returning to their native Denver, they all moonlighted as baristas and roasters, so opening their roastery and coffee shop was the next logical step.
The “collective” in the company’s name refers to creating a collective of roasters, farmers, and employees with the goal of creating the best coffee experience possible.
They pride themselves on having true relationships with the farmers from which they source their beans.
They also focus on supplying their local community with the best coffee they can get.
Their coffee shops, on First Avenue and Welton Street, also provide pleasant and enjoyable areas where their patrons can savor the coffee in peace and quiet.
They mostly offer single-origin coffee, unlike most roasters. The only exception is Belafonte, which comes from Colombia and Ethiopia.
This is a wonderfully complex mix that every dedicated coffee lover must try.
You can get their coffee online or in-store, making it accessible. You’ll also get free shipping for orders above $40, which makes their coffee quite reasonably priced.
You can pay for orders over $50 in interest-free installments, which makes Queen City Collective Coffee one of the most affordable places on our list.
They also offer a subscription service, for which you can get a discount code. The coffee is shipped monthly, and you can choose between one and four bags a month.
While it’s not as customizable as some other subscription services, you can still get more than enough coffee for your needs via their subscription.
| Website | https://queencitycollectivecoffee.com |
| Pack sizes | 12 oz / 5 lb (340 / 2268 grams) |
| Bag price | $16+ |
| Whole bean & ground? | Whole bean only |
| Subscription service? | Yes |
7. Method Coffee Roasters
This coffee company humbly began in 2013 in a garage. They’ve come a long way since then and now supply coffee to over 40 businesses across the Rocky Mountains.
Their coffee shop is focused on community and is great for networking. Plus, it offers free coffee refills, which is excellent news for caffeine addicts from the neighborhood.
The blends Method offers come from all around the world, which allows it to provide quite unique tastes and aromas.
They also have a special Save Our Winters blend. 10% of each purchase of this blend goes to an ecological organization to fight climate change.
So, you can enjoy great coffee while also helping the planet.
The range they offer is quite broad, and considering how diversely-sourced their coffee is, the tastes and aromas you can get are phenomenal.
I think it’s safe to say this is one of the most unique roasteries in Denver.
The coffee is reasonably priced, even though it’s not among the cheapest you can find in Denver.
However, the quality of coffee and service make the price more than worth it.
You can also join their subscription service and get their coffee to your doorstep once or twice a month.
| Website | https://www.methodroasters.com |
| Pack sizes | 12 oz (340 grams) |
| Bag price | $17+ |
| Whole bean & ground? | Whole bean only |
| Subscription service? | Yes |
