Heads up, Tempe coffee lovers — Press Coffee has a slick new spot at SkyWater Apartments. And the cafe, though still brand spankin' new, displays all the hallmarks of quality we've come to appreciate from this roaster.
We swung by during their soft open to sip a few drinks and see what Press will bring to Tempe's rapidly growing coffee scene.
See also: 5 Signs Your Barista Is Giving You Great Service
SkyWater at Town Lake is a newly constructed luxury apartment complex — and when we say "luxury," we mean very, very fancy. Stainless steel appliances are standard. There's an on-site fitness club. Not one, but two outdoor pools overlook Tempe Town Lake. Do yourself a favor and avoid looking at their rental prices because you will immediately regret your undergraduate liberal arts degree.
But having Press Coffee on the bottom floor of your high-rise apartment building just might be worth it. The new shop features clean, modern design by Larry Lake and Associates. Various shades of blue and grey dominate the space. Patchwork slivers of weathered, unfinished wood line the bar. All-in-all, the look of the shop is funky but refined. As an added incentive, Press will be offering room service-style delivery of black coffee to residents of the complex (for a fee).
Press Owner Steve Kraus says the shop will feature Seraphim modular hot water towers for by-the-cup brewing, but these won't arrive at the Tempe location until next month. These devices will essentially automate the pour-over process, taking the pesky element of human inconsistency out of the picture. They also look really, really neat.
Espresso is prepared using a cobalt blue Synesso espresso machine branded with Press' recently revamped logo. Until the Seraphim system is installed, baristas will be brewing single-cup Chemexes to order. Though the staff at the SkyWater shop are new to the space, they managed their surroundings adroitly.
We tried a cappuccino with the Spitball espresso blend (we admit it, we just wanted to ask them to put a Spitball in our drink). The Spitball espresso is a syrupy-sweet, fruit-forward blend of coffees from Costa Rica and Ethiopia. The milk for our the drink was perfectly tempered, had a delightfully creamy texture, and added a buttery sweetness. Though the espresso was very fruit forward, the milk managed to tame its more acidic qualities and create a flavor combination that was bright but cohesive. We tasted toasted oats, baked fig, and milk chocolate.
We also tried a pourover of the special reserve lot from Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama. Hacienda La Esmeralda is known for producing exceptionally high quality coffees, and this coffee was no exception. The cup was comprised only of Catuai variety beans and was absolutely stunning. Loads of complex tropical fruit sweetness, floral grapefruit aromatics, and a sparkling acidity made this cup of coffee an adventure to taste and a whole lot of fun to drink.
Press Coffee's newest location is located at 601 West Rio Salado Parkway. For more information visit the Press Coffee website.
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