Billed as Canada’s first coffee brewery, Station Cold Brew Coffee Co. is the epitome of a one-stop shop. Small batches of cold brew coffee are steeped in the backroom before being served front-of-house in this quaint Junction Triangle locale. The shop’s pièces de résistance are its dual taps — similar to a bar — that pour out tall draughts of silky, nitrous-infused coffee. If you close your eyes, the creamy texture can easily be confused for a cool pint of stout.
“We really promote drinking it black because it is such a unique black coffee experience. It’s different. However, we always have sweeteners and milks because we would never force people to change their coffee routine,” says co-owner Mitchell Stern.
Opened in September 2015, the shop serves up stubbies ($4) and growlers ($8 for the bottle, $15 for a refill) filled with its signature blend. The reclaimed wood-clad space also acts as a bottle shop and office space for the rapidly expanding wholesaler, which supplies bottled coffee to Whole Foods, Twitter and Google Canada’s offices in Toronto and Waterloo. “We’ve been getting inquiries from all around the globe about the brand — Dubai, Australia, Ireland, Asia,” says co-owner Steve Ballantyne.
You’ll need something to quench your thirst after all Front Street Foods’ savoury snacks. Station Cold Brew think of themselves as a “coffee company disguised as a beer brand,” offering a fresh and natural alternative to your standard iced coffee. Their ethically sourced Ethiopian and Brazilian beans are roasted locally by Hale. The alternative brewing process means the coffee is steeped in cold water for as long as 18 hours. The result is a clean and energizing brew rich in flavour but still refreshing.