Coffee has long been a part of Steve Hawthorne and Kendra Barron’s lives. The husband-and-wife team behind Hawthorne Coffee Roasters (4177 S. Howell Ave.) strives to bring not just great coffee to their Garden District neighborhood, but also a connection to the bean-to-cup process. In 2015, the couple, along with then-business partner Wade Nemetz, moved the business from West Allis and transformed a mid-century building that once housed a bowling alley, an antiques mall and several different nightclubs into a warm, rustic space where people can enjoy quality java, coffee cocktails and an array of bourbons.
Steve and Kendra each have worn many hats during their long careers in the coffee business. They met while working together at Stone Creek Coffee. After traveling and experiencing the coffee cultures of other cities, they sought to bring those experiences to Milwaukee and opened Hawthorne Coffee Roasters in 2013. “We started out wanting to roast great coffee and sharing it with the community,” Kendra said. “But then we wanted to put a personal touch on it and open a shop.”
On most days, Kendra is behind the counter sharing her coffee expertise as she makes each 12-ounce serving of coffee to-order, using the pour-over method. She pre-weighs the coffee and grinds it fresh. The grounds are then placed into a white ceramic cone lined with a paper filter, which fits over a quart-sized Mason jar. The jar is placed on a small scale on the counter.
The goal is to control five variables. “It’s like a science project—but a science project we figured out beforehand,” Kendra laughed. One of those variables in brewing a great cup of coffee is temperature, so they have a hot water tower set to an exact temperature. The hot water is slowly poured over the grounds and the finished coffee trickles into the jar, filling the counter area with the pleasant aroma of freshly brewed java.
The taste is smooth, natural and can be enjoyed just black. But it’s not only about the brewing method; Hawthorne Coffee Roasters offers single-origin coffees, meaning that the coffee is grown within a single known geographic origin. Steve roasts manually in 12-pound batches and relies solely on his senses and knowledge, rather than computer roasting settings. He gets coffee beans from a trusted importer he’s had a relationship with for many years who works directly with the farmers.
Hawthorne also offers cold brew coffee and traditional versions of espresso milk drinks. They don’t have flavored syrups, but instead try to serve the coffee drinks as simply as possible. They also make bourbon barrel aged cold brew coffee, using barrels obtained from local distillers. Their process retains much of the oak cask flavor and aroma but without alcohol. “I joke that you can pretend you’re drinking at work,” Kendra chuckled.
For those who do want to mix coffee and spirits off the clock, Hawthorne has a small menu of whiskey or gin coffee cocktails. There are also about 30 bourbons on hand, available in one-or two-ounce shots. Customers can also get craft beer on tap.
Hawthorne serves Rishi tea and bakery from The City Market. Kendra said they currently do not offer decaf coffee only because of low customer demand. They partner with mobile food operations such as Press. waffles for weekly events at the shop. Hawthorne also has its own truck to serve coffee at farmers markets and events.
For more information, visit hawthornecoffeeroasters.com or facebook.com/hawthornecoffeeco.
