Located near the Milwaukee/Wauwatosa border, Valentine Coffee Roasters stands out with their sharp black awning and distinguished V logo. Plenty of parking was available to the east side of the building for customer convenience.  

Today the tasting room at Valentine Coffee Roasters was quite busy, but the baristas – Evan Lane, Chris Walker, and Sam Ludwig – kept patrons moving with kindness and ease. The tasting room itself is light and trendy, with ample seating and window bar-style seating with outlets available for studying.  Behind the counter, you get a firsthand glimpse into the roasterie thanks to a large wall of windows.

We have heard rumors – good ones – about Valentine’s founders.  Known to be kind and supportive to other coffee shop startups, Robb and Joe are highly respected for spreading their love of really good coffee to the community around them. When considering what coffee to pick up in the morning, let this be a reason to experience Valentine coffee. These guys are leaders in the coffee industry, but aren’t afraid to lend a helping hand.

This morning we tried a few of Valentine’s drinks:

Vanilla Bean Latte: Valentine’s pure vanilla bean simple syrup, made in-house, provides a burst of flavor in this latte, but it didn’t overpower the bold espresso flavor. Today they were using the Espresso Dolce espresso blend that Valentine makes special for their espresso drinks.

 

Iced Caramel Latte:  For some of us, it’s never too cold to order an iced drink!  The Espresso Dolce blend has a rich mahogany crema and sweet, enduring finish – it makes this a smooth, chilled drink that we can’t get enough of!

Vanilla Bean Malt Mocha – This was delicious! This sweet mocha was the perfect answer to a cold, snowy day.   Perfectly complimented with malt and vanilla, this drink was delicately prepared to balance the experience between bold espresso and creamy mocha goodness. Presentation-wise, also a hit! 

Kenyan Pour Over – When we asked Chris for pour over recommendations, he suggested the Kenyan. It is sourced from a collection of smallholder farms in the shadow of Mt. Kenya.  Full-bodied with a juicy lemon acidity, it also features a creamy mouthfeel and honey sweetness. This particular coffee has notes of sumac, red fruit, and cassis.  Excellent recommendation, Chris!  This was a great pour over!

Valentine also offers a few bakery items made fresh from places like LaTarte in Wauwatosa and The City Market. 

Here are a few of the bakery items we sampled this morning:

Almond Horn – This delectable horn is a great addition to any coffee order – it’s a dense pastry with a flaky top.  This buttery treat has an almond flavor that was significant but not overpowering.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffin – With only two weeks to go until Thanksgiving, we had to order a pumpkin item! Deliciously filled with cream cheese, this treat was quite dense and moist.  It wasn’t overly sweet, making it easy to pair with any coffee order. Warning: If you order this, it won’t last long. It was amazing!!

A whole wall of merchandise and coffee lined the wall in the tasting room.  You could find plenty of options – water bottles, mugs, t-shirts, pins, stickers and coffee accessories.  What was perhaps the most impressive was the vast array of packaged coffees that they offer. Nearly half of the wall was taken up by their coffees!  They roast beans from all over the world – Guatemala, Papua New Guinea, Kenya, Peru, Ethiopia, Bali, Brazil and Costa Rica.

The baristas here were very knowledgeable about the coffee they sell.  When we asked for specific tasting notes we were looking for, they were able to quickly direct us at the beans that would be the best fit.

There is one restroom in this establishment, and it’s clean and well-kept. It’s worth noting that this restroom is spacious enough to fit a small family in there.

Valentine has hosted a throw-down, and we were fortunate enough to be present for it! The atmosphere was electric and exciting!  For a buy-in of only a few bucks, some of the best baristas in the Milwaukee area threw down their latte art skills. We may or may not have participated…

If you’re interested in upcoming events, they’re hosting a special coffee event and roastery tour on November 24th – tickets can be obtained by clicking the link in their Instagram bio.

Valentine Coffee Roasters
5918 W Vliet St, Milwaukee, WI 53208
(414) 988-8018

Hours of Operation:  Every Day, 6am – 6pm
Also available at the Tosa Farmers Market every Saturday

      

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