Welcome to Connecticut. This New England state may be small in stature, ranking 48th out of 50th in state size, but its filled with plenty of caffeine. Regional roasters, unique coffee shops, and distinct blends of flavorful coffee fill up cups across the state. A quick ride across the state will let you hit the major coffee stops for flavorful blends that keep your taste buds on their toes.
Central Connecticut Knows Coffee
Travel to Newington, CT for a taste of Omar Coffee Company. Since 1937, this family owned coffee business has featured high quality brews, as well as customer service. Omar Coffee directly supplies its fair trade certified coffee to supermarkets, nationally known chains, and restaurants. Located at 41 Commerce Court in the Franklin Avenue area, Omar’s roasts five million pounds of coffee each year. The company offers a number of blends from all over the globe including Kenya, Vietnam, and Hawaii. Omar Coffee Company may not be known as well by name, but its flavor keeps customers coming back for another sip.
Just a few miles away in Hartford is another Connecticut coffee favorite. Brewing cups of coffee since 1930, Baronet Coffee got its start in the midst of the Great Depression. The company offered an attainable luxury under the name Manhattan Coffee & Sugar Co. Brothers Isedore and Nathan Goldsmith opened Baronet Coffee in Hartford, CT with the goal of delivering the ultimate coffee experience. Three generations later, the company has continued to evolve throughout the years, expanding its efforts to the office, single serve coffee business, and beyond. Their extensive involvement with Ground for Health, an organization that establishes cervical cancer prevention and treatment programs in coffee-growing communities, gives us even more reason to fill up our cups with Baronet Coffee.
Head South to explore Connecticut Coffee
Ashlawn Farm Coffee located in Lyme, CT roasts farm-grown coffee from around the globe. Its farm charm is part of the New England allure that brings back repeat customers and guests for some of the freshest coffee in southern Connecticut. Locally roasted in the old workshop next to the dairy barn, Ashlawn Farm features top of the line equipment to prepare Arabica green beans from coffee farms around the globe. The roaster and café is located at the intersection of Town Woods Road and Bill Hill Road. Likewise, the farm also holds the Lyme Farmer's Market each Saturday. Featuring local produce, grass-fed beef, baked goods, vegetables, and fresh coffee of course. The picturesque surroundings and quality goods make the trip Ashlawn Farm more than worth it.
No trip to Connecticut is complete without a visit to one of the four regional Willoughby’s Coffee and Teashops. Located in New Haven, Branford and Madison, the shops offer free Wi-Fi and a wide selection of coffee choices. The shop prides itself on producing only Serious Coffee, made of the finest, freshest, most skillfully-roasted coffee beans available anywhere. Its emphasis on freshness sets this Connecticut coffee shop and roasting company apart. The Serious Select coffee program gives dedicated coffee drinkers the chance to explore limited and prestigious coffee blends. The weekly program sends the unique and rare coffee directly to your door. The quality of Willoughby’s makes it a top Connecticut coffee point of interest.
At only 70 miles wide and 110 miles long, traveling across Connecticut makes for a quick trip. In fact, driving time length wise is about an hour and a half. There’s no wrong turn or wrong cup of joe as you explore the many offerings of Connecticut coffee from top to bottom.