Address: 1701 N Lincoln Memorial Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53202
Coffee roaster: Colectivo
Tea: Letterbox
B's brew: 12oz latte w/cinnamon & whole milk
C's brew: 12oz latte w/cinnamon & whole milk
Sweet: Troubadour Bakery - Coffee cake muffin
Tunes played: Bon Iver, Wilco, Ben Allison
Website: colectivocoffee.com
Milwaukee has a special place in our hearts. It's where we met 6 years ago. When Charlie was still living in Milwaukee, he took me to Colectivo on one of our first dates. So, it was only fitting that we went again over our weekend getaway. After all, it is a place that holds one of our earliest memories together. I can't say enough good things about Colectivo. The coffee. The vibe. The attention to design. The community involvement. Overall, it's a complete package of what a successful coffee roaster and shop represents.
We had such a nice weekend visiting friends, eating lots of good food (side note - check out Engine Co 3 for brunch and Movida for tapas), and going to the Pabst Theater for a show. On Sunday, we woke up to the rare sight of the sun's rays coming through the hotel window, which motivated us to get an early start to the day. We decided to head out to Colectivo's Lakefront location as one of our last stops before driving back to Chicago. It's hard to forget the architecture and charm of this location. The building was originally a River Flushing Station built in 1888 and although they are not in use, many of the original interior mechanisms are still in place. You can sit in the quiet back room, with tall arched windows and lakefront views all while taking in a little bit of Milwaukee's history.
We ordered our lattes and muffin, and chose to sit upstairs in the loft area which looks down on the main room with equally beautiful windows, views and light. Charlie told me about Colectivo teaming up with MIAD (Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design). The students created unique cup designs, which have been printed on their to-go cups. Even though our latte's quenched our coffee thirst, I ordered a Revv tea (organic ginger citrus) on our way out. It's not often that I can find Colectivo's tea, Letterbox, and it only felt right to support the coffee + art collaboration. The sun was still shining on our way out, so we took a seat outside and couldn't help to wonder - why has Colectivo not branched out to Chicago? Looking forward to our next Milwaukee visit.
