Valentine Coffee Tasting Room Open on Vliet

Fans of Valentine Coffee's beans can now get it professionally brewed as fresh as possible from the source – without waiting for Saturday mornings at the Tosa Farmers Market.

Exactly one year ago today, July 16, 2012, Wauwatosa Patch reported that Valentine would be moving into a much larger space on Vliet Street and would eventually have a retail counter at the location.

True to their word, the partners in Valentine have opened a cafe-like coffee tasting room in their new roastery at 5918 W. Vliet.

There, you will be able not only to get a great cup of coffee brewed in the purest fashion – hot water poured over freshly ground beans – you can also taste-test any of Valentine's many roasts to find your favorite to take home.

"If you look at the board, we've got all the coffees that we're currently roasting," said co-owner Joe Gilsdorf. "If we've got it roasted, we will be happy to brew up a cup if you want to come and get a pour-over.

"You can choose whichever one you want, have more than one, come back tomorrow and get a different one."

Be aware, this is not a cappa-frappa-latte shop. It is all about the bean.

"It's the breadth of the menu and all the different coffees that we're showcasing," Gilsdorf said. "We don't have any syrups, no flavored drinks. It's the coffees and their different personalities that is the variety."

The tasting room also features espresso, by the shot or in a cafe au lait using Sassy Cow organic milk. Valentine has a proprietary espresso blend, regular or decaf, but is now experimenting with espresso roasts of its other coffees.

"I mean, really, it's a milk-drink culture," Gilsdorf said. "We're trying to get a few more people in Milwaukee to appreciate just a shot of espresso. So we're rotating through, every couple of days, one of our other single-origin coffees and showcasing that as an espresso as well." 

Gilsdorf, with partners Robb Kashevarof and Marshall Harting, realize that coffee isn't everything to all people, even the most demanding aficionado – sometimes you want a little nosh to go with it.

Valentine Tasting Room fills that need with edible items from a couple of local sources, La Tarte bakery, 6742 W. Wells St., and Blue's Egg, 317 N. 76th St.

Valentine also offers a variety of Rishi teas.

Hours are from 6 a.m. to "roughly 2 p.m." Monday through Saturday, Gilsdorf said. "We won't throw anybody out if they're enjoying a coffee."

Also, Harting assured Wauwatosa Patch that Valentine will still be a presence at the Tosa Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.

"We will absolutely be at the farmer's market the remainder of the season," he said. "We continue to see new faces enjoy our coffee for the first time at the market, and we love to support the local community."