Ozo Coffee Company, Boulder

How can a coffee shop know that its baristas and roasters are the most knowledgeable and passionate around? Well, when it comes to Ozo Coffee Company, the answer is simple: open up a dedicated training facility, known as The Lab. This building is fully-equipped with manual espresso machines and a two-barrel Joper sample roaster, where Ozo's team fine tunes techniques for roasting 100% Arabica coffee. They then roll out the best roasting and brewing practices to all three of Ozo Coffee Company's Boulder locations, which offer espresso, drip, Chemex, and french press coffee.

Ozo Coffee Company focuses on direct trade relationships. They source beans from around the world, including fair trade, organic, and single-source beans, then roast them straight up or make their own blends. Coffee is roasted to order every week in order to maintain quality and freshness. Customers can sip this coffee at the cafe, or buy a bag of beans to take home. Here are three options to consider, depending on your palate:

• Exotic and Lively: Organic Democratic Republic of Congo, which has flavors of flowers, spice, and tropical fruit.
• Distinct and well-defined: 8th Wonder Espresso, a blend of some of Ozo's best single-origin coffees.
• Welcoming and approachable: Organic Mexico altura, a creamy and chocolatey blend from CESMACH, a co-op committed to eco-friendly practices.