I will always remember my first taste of Blue Bottle – it was in San Francisco in the Ferry Building. Upon the recommendation of my friend, I ordered a Cappuccino. The simple, clean and eye-popping blue-on-white contrasted the rich and creamy beverage. It was sublime. And ever since, I’ve been a convert.
Up until this year however, Blue Bottle has been a treat of travel. Only until a few months ago did Blue Bottle arrive in Boston. Since this winter, Blue Bottle has now opened up three locations in the Greater Boston area and Cambridge. Unsurprisingly, I have been to each, many times.
The newest location, in the Prudential Center, celebrates its opening and Community Day on July 10th. I had the opportunity to stop by prior to their public opening to get a tour of the beautiful new space and hear more about the Blue Bottle journey.
Blue Bottle started in Oakland, CA and now has locations in 6 US cities and Kyoto and Tokyo in Japan. Blue Bottle has a very mindful approach to its coffee, working with producers all over the world and offering three distinct, but relatively consistent house blends and featuring rotating single origin espresso and pour over coffees year round among other delicious bevies like their famous New Orleans Iced Coffee or their Cascara Fizz. (I learned this is made from the skins of the coffee fruit!)
Throughout their impressive expansion, Blue Bottle has also made an effort to connect with, and promote, local identities. Each café opens with a limited hour, Community Day, pairing up with a local charity in each region. Here in Boston, the proceeds from all pastry and food purchases on their Community Day goes towards Artists for Humanity.*
To go along with your hand crafted coffee, Blue Bottle also offers a variety of baked goods and to-go light snacks, all made at their New York location commissary. They also partner with Iggy’s bakery to provide a couple of sandwich options.
There are few treats you can enjoy on a daily basis without breaking the bank. For me, an expertly-crafted coffee beverage is one of the few exceptions. I am happy to add Blue Bottle to my roster of coffee shops in the Boston area.
*All coffee beverages are free from the hours of 9AM-3PM at the Prudential location on July 10th 2018.