Collective Espresso
On our travels through the Midwest by far my favorite place was Cincinnati. There was snow everywhere. Our clutch burned up and welded together. It was an exciting time. But it was a really beautiful city that I feel is incredibly under-rated. Heck, I didn't even know that much about it. One of the shops we visited was is in the Over the Rhine district. It used to be a district that no one would venture too except if they lived there but now it has been revived and there are beautiful resturaunts and small-businesses making it a popular scene. We heard about the shop Collective Espresso from our friends who said it was the more serious of the coffee shops in Cincinnati. So we couldn't resist. Parking was hard to find especially when there were snow drifts off to the side. But since we love snow, cold and walking it was the perfect time to experience all three combined together. We walked around until we found it just off a main street. It has a small sign but once you step inside the small space you are greeted by warmth from the Barista's and the overwhelming smell of extraction. The bar is small yet the seating was laid out nicely. It was a horseshoe style with the register and machine front and center. On the right side was were they made their brewed coffee and the left reserved for washing. There were six chairs on each of the bar and small nooks near the windows for more intimate sitting. I enjoyed an espresso and Doren grabbed a chemex both of the coffee's from a micro-roaster called Kuma Coffee based in Seattle, WA. Collective also has a cafe on the North side and they opened up a Mod Bar in the Contemporary Arts Center (which was not yet opened when we were there) *tear*. Over all everything about my experience there was amazing. If your driving or have a layover definitely make a visit. You can find them at the following links below!
-Tripp
-Tripp