World-Class Coffee and Tea Just Down the Road
There’s nothing quite as delightful as the aroma of coffee brewing in the morning or that first taste of freshly steeped tea, full of nuanced and complex flavor. However, coffee and tea producers vary wildly, with mass-conglomerate brands cutting corners on sourcing and quality. But here in the mountains of Vermont, we’re passionate about artisanship, whether it be award-winning spirits from nearby distilleries, popular cideries in and around Waterbury, or one of the world’s most beloved ice creams.
Similarly, the folks at Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea Company bring decades of expertise and dedication to the art and science of sourcing and roasting the best Vermont coffee you’ll find anywhere. Our Waterbury bed and breakfast is less than a 10-minute drive from their coffee bar and renowned School of Coffee – highly esteemed for its focus on educating students about all things coffee using the most rigorous standards.
Whether you stop in for a perfectly crafted coffee drink or enroll in one of their specialty classes, you’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for the flavorful, fascinating, and expansive world of Vermont coffee and tea.
Visiting the Vermont Artisan Country Barn, Where the Coffee-Roasting and Tea-Making Magic Happens
When you drive up Route 100 from downtown Waterbury, you’ll see Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea’s 15,000 square foot building from afar – their enormous and Vermont-esque red barn is impossible to miss, with a towering silo outside that simply says “coffee,” their simple motto and guiding inspiration. Although rustic-looking from the outside, once inside, you’ll find world-class facilities where they store, roast, and process the freshest coffee and tea from across the globe.
At their coffee bar, order a mug of tea or your favorite espresso drink, made expertly by their baristas who go through the same in-depth training offered through their proprietary coffee training program. One of the best parts of ordering a coffee drink here is that you can specify which bean you want, steering you to a roast style and origin that suits your palate, much like wine tasting.
Their trademark Artisan Blend is a great introduction, a balanced merging of South American and African beans. Meanwhile, the Colombian is always classic, while their two different decaffeinated bean options utilize a unique “Vermont water” decaf process free of chemicals and retaining an intense taste. And don’t miss the three types of beans from Sumatra (a coffee-growing region famous for the richness and earthiness of its beans). They also serve “micro-lot” coffee varieties like Yemen Hayma, specially produced by farmers and prized for their rare flavor profile.
After trying their coffee in person and finding your favorite (it’s tough to choose from over 22 types of coffee, each unique and memorable!), you can purchase a bag of Vermont coffee whole beans to bring home, a delicious souvenir from your stay in Waterbury. Tea lovers will also love their extensive collection, including honey-tinged Assam, masala chai with its pleasant and spicy bite from fresh clove and ginger, old-school faves like English Breakfast or Earl Grey, and one-of-a-kind blends like Pomegranate green tea.
Unlike some larger coffee companies, Artisan’s beans are “farm-direct,” as they work one-on-one with coffee producers to ensure the best quality and highest pricing for farmers. Owner Mané Alves has traveled worldwide for two decades, establishing personal relationships with coffee farmers to ensure their growing and working conditions are sustainable. So, you can sip and enjoy, knowing that your tea and coffee were grown, sourced, purchased, and roasted ethically.
School of Coffee – Learning From the Best of the Best, One Coffee Bean at a Time
Founder Mané Alves has been working in the world of coffee for over two decades, and he brings his vast knowledge to the classroom at their in-house School of Coffee. Alves worked with wines before migrating to coffee, harnessing that same finely tuned and intricate level of tasting evaluation, able to pinpoint the subtlest variations in smell and flavor.
Within the barn, amongst the roasting equipment and hundreds of sacks of freshly arrived green coffee beans, there’s a classroom “coffee lab,” a certified premier training facility where you can dive deep into evaluating, grading, and preparing coffee alongside Alves and his outstanding crew. Classes focus on specific areas of study, like a 6-day Q Grader session (Q Grading is the globally recognized Specialty Coffee Association standard for evaluating both green and roasted coffee beans) or a two-day intensive barista training course, ideal for brushing up on your coffee shop skills or learning how to pull a top-notch espresso shot on your home setup. People travel from across the country to attend these trainings, so they sell out early, including several that occur in late 2023. However, some openings are still available, like the 2-day Specialty Coffee Association Coffee Value Assessment course on November 28-29, 2023, or the 2-day CLI Barista Course on December 10-11, 2023.
We’re grateful to have such Vermont coffee mastery happening right here in Waterbury, and we proudly brew their beans for our guests. After waking up in your cozy Stagecoach room in the morning, head downstairs for breakfast and a cup of Vermont Artisan Coffee – we can’t imagine a better way to start the day. And don't forget to grab a bag of their Artisan Blend beans, available for sale in our lobby, as a reminder of your Vermont getaway.
Stay with us and discover your new favorite bean, brew, and tea from Vermont Artisan Coffee!
