By Natalie Clark, Contributor
The end of summer marks the end of warm weather in the city, meaning that cool fall winds are approaching. And where there is fall, there is coffee. Its warm, cozy and inviting aroma tests your limits as to just how many cups you can have without going completely off the walls. Get ready to channel your inner Rory Gilmore this fall with a visit to these amazing coffee hotspots around Hamilton.
The Holy Cup on James
Saint James, located on James Street North in downtown Hamilton, is home to one of the greatest vanilla lattes in the city. Saint James doubles as a restaurant and a cafe, so you can drop in for a quick coffee or have a seat and enjoy their pancakes topped with warm honey, powdered sugar and fresh fruit. With both indoor and outdoor seating, you can cozy up inside and watch the leaves fall or enjoy the crisp autumn breeze on their roadside patio.
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The Not So Salty Espresso
Salty Espresso has been on my recommendations list for a while now. Located on the corner of Augusta Street and John Street, you can visit this quaint coffee shop for a reminder of warmer vibes. Modelled after the “surf life” mentality, Salty Espresso is the place to escape from the cold breeze of fall and remember the warmer days that were. Make sure to try their sweet and colourful Froot Loop Latte!
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The Cannon on Cannon
The Cannon has quickly become one of my favourite coffee spots in the city. Although rather small with only a few tables to sit at, the space is full of character and always bustling with people, not to mention they take their coffee seriously! Boasting a wide array of freshly-brewed coffee flavours, espresso-beverages and light brunch items, The Cannon is great for a sit-down to catch up with some friends or to study for midterms. If you tried some coffee and fell in love with it, the shop actually allows you to purchase the beans in bulk, allowing coffee connoisseurs to take a taste of the Cannon home with them.
The Hamiltonian Hotspot
If you live in Hamilton, then chances are that you’ve heard of Mulberry Coffee House. Their warm and inviting atmosphere makes for the perfect spot to take out your books and get some much-needed studying done. Within its art-covered walls, Mulberry features occasional live performances by local and upcoming artists. Located on James Street North, the epicentre of Hamilton arts and culture, Mulberry Coffee House allows for anyone and everyone to enjoy the complete Hamilton experience.
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The New Cup in Town
If you’re looking for a new coffee hangout close to campus, then try Phin Coffee Bar (804 King Street West), just across from the Food Basics. The owner, Andrew Meas, is a coffee connoisseur and will make sure you get that perfect taste in every sip. Meas aims to attract mainly students, professors and other campus wanderers, creating a quintessential campus hotspot. The Golden Latte will have you feeling like you are drinking in fall itself. Grab a quick coffee at Phin Coffee Bar and take a fall stroll on campus to experience the beautiful changing leaves and all that fall has to offer!
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Wes Griffin and Josh Southern’s friendship began over coffee.
Griffin, a local barista, and Southern, a programmer, discussed their common interests in their shared professions and passions while seated next to each other at The Cannon Coffee Company.
Fast forward through many café conversations later and the pair began to discuss how to bring their love for the local coffee industry to more people.
On March 5 their months of planning were realized.
Over 1,000 people crowded the Spice Factory for the inaugural Hamilton Coffee Fair, where they were treated to a latte art competition, brewing demos, workshops and free drinks from 14 local coffee vendors.
The event showcased specialty coffee, which is distinct from its larger, corporate counterpart in that it sources and roasts its beans from small batch farms and roasters.
Direct trade and sustainable farming practices are standard, and while it is a more expensive product, it also produces a richer, complex drinking experience that contrasts the fast food, utilitarian reputation that the beverage has been more commonly associated with in North American markets.
After his introduction to local offerings, Southern was hooked.
He wanted to share the experience with more people, and so he and Griffin designed the event to dismantle some of the elusiveness of the local industry with a free entry event.
“That’s always been my long term goal. It’s to grow this [coffee market], because I think it is a better value proposition overall versus the commodity coffee market… I’m completely convinced that as soon as people become aware, they know, they taste, and they experience a coffee shop… they will [immediately] understand how valuable it is,” said Southern.
Griffin has a personal stake in promoting local coffee culture. While he is currently behind the bar at Finch on Locke, he has aspirations to propel his career deeper into the café scene: barista competitions, Aeropress Coffee Maker championships and maybe, someday, a café of his own.
“It’s kind of hard to leave Hamilton. I just love this city. I guess it depends on at what point I decide to do my own thing and whether Hamilton will be the right place to do it at that time,” he said.
The surprise festival attendance numbers prove that a significant number of Hamiltonians are willing to support their favourite cafés and try out new places. Moreover, the event’s latte art competition piqued the interest of baristas from Toronto, Niagara and Vancouver.
People are looking to create a coffee scene in Hamilton that can rival any other major Canadian city, but with its own communal twist.
Smalls Coffee hosted latte art and home brewing classes. Durand Coffee has hosted a coffee documentary screening and tasting session. Café Oranje participated in a Victorian Christmas evening. Mulberry Street Coffeehouse hosted hundreds of live music nights.
Cafés thrive on their ability to transform into an open, integrated space in their neighbourhood.
As Ark + Anchor Espresso Bar owner and former Toronto barista Patrick Guilbault sees it, this malleability has been a significant part of his content with his new home and business.
Guilbault has now been employed in the coffee industry for 12 years, starting at a Mississauga Starbucks and eventually making his way to Ezra’s Pound in Toronto. After running training and protocol for five and a half years, Guilbault could not realistically ask for higher wages from his employer. The only way to make more money in the coffee industry was to either to take another job in late night food and beverage or to open a place with his partner Yigi Chang.
They initially looked in Toronto, but as many other young people have discovered, they would have to take on another business partner if they could afford viable real estate in the city.
“Friends of ours moved to Hamilton in late 2013 early 2014… We knew we would be comfortable in a city they chose to live in. Every time we came to visit they really curated the experience,” explained Guilbault. “The quhttps://www.thesil.ca/wp-admin/upload.phpality of the real estate compared to what we could get in Toronto for the same price was, you know, it wasn’t comparable. It didn’t make any sense to stay in Toronto when this was available.”
In the months leading to Ark + Anchor’s October 2015 open, Guilbault noted that there was a lot of local interest in every new business that was popping up.
“There was a lot of excitement about new places in Hamilton. Not to say that there still isn’t, but it felt like everyone was paying attention to what was opening and who was opening. Everyone would be talking to each other on Twitter and Instagram, asking how renovations [were] going… It feels like we hit a point sometime last year where everyone accepted the boom was happening.”
The enthusiasm for a new spot for specialty coffee was there, but what Guilbault and Chang found even more notable was their ability to open up their space for local hobbyists.
"It's kind of hard to leave Hamilton. I just love this city. I guess it depends on at what point I decide to do my own thing and whether Hamilton will be the right place to do it at the time"
Wes Griffin
Barista, Finch on Locke
After their opening, they quickly got to know regulars with common interests in science fiction novels and tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder.
By Jan. 2016, they had launched the Ship’s Log science fiction book club, followed by Drop n’ Dice in May and a community library in June.
“Coffee shops, especially in Hamilton, seem to foster a certain amount of getting to know each other so that customers don’t feel like they have to wait for us to suggest ideas for events or put on things,” said Guilbault.
“At Ezra’s, because we were so close to the subway station, it really did feel like we were just part two of three of getting to work for people. Here… we get to interact with at the very least dozens if not close to hundreds of people a day who all have roots here, or have moved here and are settling down roots, it feels more interactive and communal than just the mechanical process of coming and getting coffee.”
The Hamilton Coffee Fair put a spotlight on not only local businesses, but the many familiar faces that fuel the city each day. While the communal aspect was emphasized, it is unclear whether or not Hamilton’s coffee industry can maintain that communal appeal as more residents move to new downtown apartments and condos.
“We’re extremely lucky in that Yigi and I are able to be behind the counter every day. I think our biggest challenge is going to be maintaining that over time because I really do feel like… part of the success we’ve had is every regular knowing that they’re going to see at least one of us. We’re going to make your coffee, we’re going to chat, and then you get to carry on with your day,” said Guilbault.
Ark + Anchor’s location was chosen because it sits right across from an apartment tower development on the corner of King and Queen Streets. Guilbault estimates that the new building could bring up to 300 people to their front door.
“The question is do we stay what we are now for the people who have already come here, or do we start to make more concessions for a large group of people who are going be moving in? Deciding where we want to be on that line is going be the next big thing for us.”
For coffee enthusiasts like Southern, and for potential business owners like Griffin, the promise of a bigger consumer base for a young speciality industry brings promise.
For business owners, it means a potential change in strategy.
The success of Hamilton Coffee Fair wasn’t just in the number of attendees after all. Over 100 “coffee passports” were sold which give customers 14 free drinks of their choosing from each of the sponsored coffee shops.
"Here... we get to interact with at the very least dozens if not close to hundreds of people a day who all have roots here"
Patrick Gullnault
Owner, Ark+Anchor Espresso Bar
A larger number of customers will inevitably demand some revisions to the close-knit appearance of these locales, and a potential life style change for those who have opted to run café’s by themselves.
But there is still opportunity for Hamilton cafés to maintain their unique, communal vibe even as they face inevitable changes.
The Hamilton Coffee Fair can hopefully evolve into an annual event that not only outdoes the success of its first year, but also can transition into an annual celebration of local coffee shops, and the communities they fuel.
By: Miranda Babbit
Oh, Valentine’s Day. You swoop into our lives once a year and leave behind a trail of half-eaten chocolates and half-met expectations. The pressure hugging Valentine’s Day is kind of like an anaconda, isn’t it? We see it coming, our palms sweating in anticipation, we fix a look of nonchalance on our faces, but with each casual breath, the grip is tightened. Where’s our friendly little cupid now? Take that arrow and shoot this anaconda down!
Doesn’t look like he’s coming.
But fear not, sweet sweet lovers of McMaster University. Three words will release you from the pressure of this looming creature: coffee shop dates. Your wallet is emerging from a stress-coma, and your tummy is preparing itself for a line of freshly baked pastries. No need to worry about opera tickets or dinners that will leave you homeless, sellers of your caffeinated friend are here to save the day.
1) Mulberry Coffee House- 193 James Street North
On the corner of Mulberry and James Street, distressed brick walls protect one of the most beautiful gems as far as coffee shops go. It feels as if you’ve walked into an old home that has been made into a makeshift coffee house to feed the steady stream of artists and musicians meandering through its doors. The first time I ventured in, the cashier was wearing a candy-striper dress and the barista whipping up my cappuccino was whistling the cheeriest tune. Then I looked at the walls and all this crazy art is staring back at me. I had some serious eye contact with an intricately made cardboard lion mask. The selling point for a potential date here is the general volume of the place. Paired with the bumping music and lively, artsy conversations going on, no one will be able to creepily listen in on your romantic whispers. Who eavesdrops nowadays anyway? (Not me...) All in all this coffee shop receives three out of three shots of espresso for its lively energy- and an extra shot of vanilla syrup for the whistling barista.
2) Johnny’s Coffee- 129 Locke Street South
Locke Street is one of the most charming streets in Hamilton. Home to some damn delicious bagels and out-of-this-world burgers, it’s only fitting it has an equally admired coffee shop. Johnny’s Coffee is as quaint as coffee shops can get. It seats roughly 15 people, which adds to its cozy air.
Now although you’re very close to the tables next to you, somehow there is no judgment from the seats next to you. No eavesdroppers allowed. Damn. A little birdy told me that one of the baristas was recruited from Starbucks for his cappuccino mastery. I can believe it. If you’re going out with an intellectual, please note the chess table in the back, and even if he or she doesn’t play, you can impress your date with a hypothetical knack for logic. Maybe guide their hand with the piece as if you’re teaching them how to play golf (so much unnecessary physical contact). Personally, I recommend the almond croissant, which can conveniently be split down the middle. Or, you could be particularly naughty and feed each other (although nearby customers may vomit at the high dose of PDA in the region).
3) My Dog Joe- 1020 King Street West
Ah, My Dog Joe. How could I leave out our closest friend in the heart of Westdale? For those of you who haven’t made your way in, be prepared to meet your new home away from home. As soon as you’re greeted by the scent of freshly baked cookies warming your chilly bodies, you’ll know what I mean. You may eye the goodies tempting you from behind the glass, but don’t worry, it’s unlikely your date will be jealous unless you start giggling with the cookies.
There’s also always a collection of intriguing local art on the walls, which is nice to stare at when the conversation dulls (that won’t happen to you though, don’t worry). Back to the cookies and baked goods – they will mystify you. You and your date may or may not start daydreaming about the things you would do if you could be alone in a room with just you and the muffin collection. Their famous drink is the White Chocolate Raspberry Mocha. So many delicious adjectives in one drink.
If you stick to one of these spots, the magic of Valentine’s Day certainly won’t be sacrificed. Now get out there and enjoy the chance to be obnoxious with PDA, we’re only giving you this one day.
