I made my way over to Rowster today, a local coffee shop that roasts their own coffee, and I must say that it is an absolutely wonderful place. The atmosphere is quite lovely. It is very open with minimal seating, although a nice variety of bar stools and comfy chairs. There is jazz music playing softly in the background and the sounds of lively discussion between customers and staff, it is truly an inviting noise.

On to the coffee. They deal mostly in brewed coffee but they have a decent selection of espresso drinks as well. The selection of brewed coffee is what has impressed me the most. They offer three different ways to have it prepared, press pot, siphon pot and pour over drip, and three different methods of pour over drip at that. ‘New American Style’, ‘V-60’ and the ever classic ‘Chemex’. For espresso they offer a double shot with dairy in a variety of sizes and have some flavour shots if you wish for a more interesting latte. What really intrigues me though is some titled ‘Long Pull’. I have not experienced an espresso in this manner, although I am convinced I must.

Today I went for 10 oz. prepared in the way of the ‘New American Style’. I am not quite sure on the bean that I received, but it sure did gain my approval. This brew had some fruity overtones, so I can only assume it was a lighter roast, probably something along the lines of full city. It was a very smooth cup of coffee, that is a side effect of the pour over drip brewing method and a very good side effect at that. It was served in a metal pot with a ~3.5 oz. ceramic cup to drink from. This allowed me to take my time and enjoy the beverage without much worry of the bottom of the mug losing heat on me, a very smart way of doing things if I may have an opinion.

Basically Rowster has captured beautifully the dream of my perfect coffee shop and the idea of one that I want to open one day, with maybe a slight change in music to a more folkesque sound. I give Rowster a giant thumbs up and would highly suggest it if you are ever in the Grand Rapids area.