Here's The Best Coffee Shop In Connecticut

NEW HAVEN, CT — Coffee is the elixir to survive early morning wake-ups. For many people, it’s the only way to start the day. Losing coffee would be like losing an arm or a leg. Maybe both. But, as any serious coffee connoisseur will tell you, not every cup of Joe is created equal, and not every cafe with a “World’s Best Coffee” sign has, you know, even decent coffee.

Fortunately, the Daily Meal decided to take the guesswork out of the equation and published the definitive list of best coffee shops in each state. In Connecticut, the best shop is The Coffee Pedaler located in New Haven.

Here’s what the authors had to say about the joint:

Located in the Brooklyn-like East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, The Coffee Pedaler is a low-key coffee shop that started as one person on selling coffee from a cart attached to their bicycle. While they don't literally pedal coffee anymore, they do peddle unique specialty drinks like their honey lavender latte or spiced cider with chai. Have a Montreal-style bagel that’s been wood-fired in their brick oven to go along with it.

Folks on the internet seem to agree. The Pedaler, which bills itself as an artisan coffee shop, gets 4.8/5 stars on Facebook, 4.7/5 stars on Google reviews and 4.5 stars/5 on Yelp.

A survey by the National Coffee Association suggests more Americans than ever before are drinking coffee, and the charge is being lead by young people. The percentage of people who drink coffee every day increased to 62 percent last year from 57 percent in 2016, according to the NCA’s 2017 National Coffee Drinking Trends consumption tracking report.

The organization said one of the biggest drivers behind the increase is a growing appetite for “gourmet coffee varieties.”

“More of us are drinking coffee, and younger consumers appear to be leading the charge,” said Bill Murray, NCA president and CEO. “A steadily growing taste for gourmet varieties is also driving a wider trend toward specialty beverages.”

Although Americans typically like their coffee to-go, the Daily Meal said many of the best coffee shops are priding themselves on quality rather than mass production, a movement known as the “third wave.”

“As a result of the third wave of coffee, more and more coffee shops are emphasizing their production process, making sure to utilize or partner with roasters and farms that demonstrate responsible methods of growing, harvesting, and processing coffee beans,” the authors wrote.

These cafes are also putting an emphasis on their direct relationships with coffee growers, traders and roasters, as well as higher skilled brewing, using better beans and even coming up with unique latte art, the report said.

To come up with the list, the Daily Meal reviewed its previous rankings and stories on local coffee shops, then examined existing rankings and review websites to see which cafes and coffee-centric restaurants had the highest ratings and were most beloved by locals and tourists. Most of the shops were small businesses, rather than chains.

“Above all, we looked for shops with a nice sit-in area, a high level of barista skill and creativity, multiple food options that vary throughout the day, a variety of specialty coffee drinks, originality, and a high level of service,” the authors wrote.

Click here to see the full report.

Photo credit: Shutterstock