Listen up, coffee lovers! Just in time for the holiday season, there’s a new coffee “cold bar” in town — Blue Bottle Coffee — and it’s made its cozy home in the Miami Design District.
First launched in 2002 in Oakland, CA, Blue Bottle is the passion project of founder James Freeman, who calls himself a “coffee lunatic.” He started by hand-roasting coffee beans in nothing more than a 183-square-foot potting shed in his backyard, delivered those beans to friends and family in the back of his Peugeot wagon—and today, 15 years later, he’s created an empire. That empire has spread across the Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, D.C., Tokyo, Aventura, and most recently, the Miami Design District.
Known for its sustainable, handcrafted and hand-roasted beans, Blue Bottle Coffee serves a menu of tantalizing coffees (served either black or as a zero-proof coffee cocktail) and pastries in a casual, inviting setting. Chosen specifically for the MDD crowd, Blue Bottle is the perfect place to grab an afternoon sweet treat, get your morning caffeine fix, or sit down with your laptop and get some work done. While MDD has plenty of spots to grab a strong cup o’ joe and a sweet pastry, Blue Bottle brings something this haute shopping spot craved: a no-frills coffee shop with craft drinks and a neighborhood feel.
The feel, of course, is a product of both its design and menu. Tucked in a parking structure covered in tessellated metal wrapping and John Baldessari murals, the interior is actually quite simple; exposed concrete columns and painted concrete walls are juxtaposed against oak wood furniture, 20-foot-high ceilings, large industrial scaffolding, an oak and caesarstone bar, and large windows that let in plenty of natural light.
Securing its reputation as a true coffee lab, there’s even a large vinyl curtain wall where guests can watch the baristas whipping up their coffee chemistry live. And speaking of the coffee, guests can order everything from black coffee and espresso, to Cold Brew, lattes and New Orleans–Style Iced Coffee. Pair whichever brew you choose with a piece of avocado toast, a Saffron Snickerdoodle cookie, or one of the spot’s famed Liège waffles with chocolate, and it will be one sweet visit, indeed.
Blue Bottle Coffee is located at 3818 NE 1st Avenue, Miami, FL 33137.
