March 11, 2015
Vertue? That’s not a spelling mistake.
The Vertue of the Coffee Drink takes its name from the first handbill distributed in London in 1652 outlining the medicinal properties of coffee. It is the first recorded evidence of coffee being roasted and sold as medicine. With coffee being a daily drugs for us, this seems fitting.
Vertue embodies everything Melbourne. New, unique and of course, hidden away in a laneway. To be exact, it’s off a laneway and off that laneway. Originally horses stables in the 1800s, owner Mike Cracknell has spent the last 2 and a half years building this amazing, perfect space. This freshly minted space has been in operation for 4 weeks but already has Melburnians frothing (yes, pun intended).
“Define who you are by what’s important to you and the atmosphere you would like to enjoy”
Amazing creative space? Check. Toys? A beautiful Has Garanti 15kg roaster with custom copper flueing? Check. Doing what you love? Check. Mike comes with almost 2 decades of experience in the industry having tried his hand at almost everything within the hospitality industry. And all that knowledge now goes into every aspect of Vertue. From fit out to experience, food, coffee and service.
Why does Vertue coffee taste so damn good?
“We have a very simple coffee philosophy: we source the best green bean we can, we roast to bring out the best in the bean and we serve it with care and respect”.
Always happy to share his knowledge, Mike finds that there is a lot of hype about coffee these days and that can be confusing and alienating for those not in the industry. To this end, they ensure they are delivering the tastiest coffee without any pretentiousness, whether you’re new to coffee or a seasoned professional. It’s all about the flavour.
With that, a focus on filter flavours is what brings us together today. Roasted lightly, Vertue have really given you something special today. It’s a Guatemala Huehuetenango San Jose Obrero (say it five times over). We love using this coffee through a pour over method as it highlights the gentle acidity and bright sweetness. Very juicy and tasty, with pineapple, nectarine, sweet caramels, mandarin and red apple acidity. Essentially, a fruit bowl of deliciousness.
The crew at Vertue have also included a sample of the green beans they use to roast your coffee; always interesting to see how the natural bean looks before roasting begins.
The Vertue of the Coffee Drink is a pretty special place; uniquely Melbourne and a genuine hidden delight with great coffee and even better service.
Want to join the coffee club? Sign up to Three Thousand Thieves today.
Photos by Bobby & Tide
Stay in touch with Vertue via Instagram @VertueCoffee
