Dawson's Downtown Archives

The Boise Weekly recently posted a great article about pour-over coffee in the Boise area. I’d like to throw in a few thoughts for consideration and thank them for promoting the local coffee scene.

When I started this blog in 2009, I was a high school student with very little experience in coffee. I worked at a local Boise drive-thru coffee shop during my sophomore and junior years of high school, and I trecked around Boise checking out what local coffee had to offer. In those not-so-long-ago days there were two primary methods of brewing coffee in Boise: espresso and drip. My first foray into new coffee territory was when I purchased my Aeropress as a college freshman in 2011. The Aeropress is a unique brewer because it’s not quite pour-over, but it definitely is not espresso and brews a better cup than standard drip machines. I began researching new methods of brewing coffee, and this led me to experimenting with pour-over coffee in 2012, starting with the Clever immersion/pour-over combo device, and eventually the Hario v60.

In my opinion, nothing is quite like coffee brewed using a pour-over technique. Making a great cup of pour-over coffee requires dedication and persistence. The method matters: everything from the type of kettle you use to the style of pour, the length of pour, the temperature of the brewing device and the cup, and especially the grind of the beans. That’s why I’m always thankful when coffee shops with expert baristas offer pour-over coffee. I know that they know what they’re doing, and it’s always impressive to see their experienced hands at work. I’ve had great cups everywhere from Seattle to New York.

But, strangely, my growth into appreciating pour-over coffee has not been matched in Boise. The coffee community is largely stuck in the same place they were when I left town for college: espresso and drip. According to the Boise Weekly article, this may be changing.

The District Coffee House and Neckar Coffee now offer coffee brewed using the pour-over method. The article does a great job of outlining their process and why they believe that pour-over offers something completely absent in the Boise coffee community so far. My hope is that other coffee houses like Dawson’s Downtown and the Flying M will follow this same path – their locally roasted coffee would taste wonderful coming out of a Chemex or a v60.

My call is that the scene is beginning to change and soon pour-over coffee will be in every coffee shop and cafe in the Boise area. This will do wonders for pushing locally-roasted coffee back to the front and will ultimately benefit the community as a whole. The more people experience this unique and delicious style of brewing, the less they will desire to purchase from large chains like Starbucks, Dutch Bros, and Thomas Hammer. And while the huge chains do the service of selling comfortable coffee that meets expectations, when people taste great coffee that blows expectations out of the water they will never want to go back.

Dawson’s Downtown has a bumper sticker in the back of their store behind the counter that says “friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks.” My hope is that the Boise coffee scene will pursue pour-over coffee to give people one less reason to spend their money on bad coffee.

The Coffee Guy

Links:
Boise Weekly Article
The District Coffee House
Neckar Coffee Company

There’s three things you can do in Boise on any given weekend. 1) Go hunting for whatever’s in season. 2) Work, and wish you were doing something else. 3) Head downtown to hang out with friends and share in community. Most sane people choose option three (unless they really like venison jerky 😀 ).

BoDo is a place with much to do, even for those out-of-state. Parks, shops, music, clubs, and everything in-between. Although all of downtown has hangout locations, one rises above all the rest. If you’re a local, you know 8th street is THE place to chill. And everyone who’s anyone knows that Dawson’s Downtown is THE place to get coffee on 8th street.

An out-of-stater, or first time local, may feel slightly left out moments after walking into Dawson’s. It’s clear this is a regular local hangout: the baristas greeting people by name, folks standing around talking to friends they just ran in to, and a definite atmosphere of relaxation. That same out-of-stater, or first-timer, will soon lose this feeling of intimidation moments after ordering their coffee. The staff at Dawson’s greets everyone with a smile and a compliment, if only in demeanor. The coffee shop is decorated in snipits of humor, warm-colored paint, and even a mosaic featuring a cup of joe. After getting past their initial bout of insecurity, that same out-of-stater/first-timer will recognize the inherit love and joy that permeates the very walls of Dawson’s Downtown. It’s like a really sweet party that you didn’t know was going on. Now that you’re in, you can’t help but tell others about it.

So what about the coffee? Dawson’s uses a medium roast espresso blend for everything you order. They also feature many different types of house blends, changing them day-to-day. Their 12oz espresso coffees come with two shots, 16oz with three, and 20oz with three or four (depending on your addiction level).
The espresso drinks are smooth and have a constant, very flavorful taste. I personally recommend their breve with your choice of syrup; its creamy taste combined with the smooth shots is an incredible flavor and texture combination to behold. It’s clear the baristas have a feel for how to do coffee, and their humor and passion only add to that expertise.
Dawson’s is slightly pricey- $3.10 for a 16oz latte. That being said, the price is well worth the taste and experience, and no where near the fortune it takes to get the same drink at brand-name coffee houses. If I were you, I’d cough up the change- you won’t be disappointed.

I really love Dawson’s Downtown! Their great customer service, the awesome people, atmosphere of joy, and fabulous coffee, combined with the free wi-fi makes me give it a four thumbs up.

The story of Dawson Taylor, as told from the founders (from http://DawsonTaylor.com)

On October of 1995, we began Dawson Taylor Coffee Roasters in response to the need for a local roaster of exceptional quality coffees. Dawson Taylor Coffee Roasters is named after our son, Dawson Taylor Ledgard.

We operate with this goal in mind: To provide the highest quality coffees available. With our experience and passion for coffee, we offer unparalleled customer support and service.

Every day, we roast beans of the highest quality from the finest coffee-producing regions and estates of the world. Freshness is of paramount concern when roasting such specialty grades of coffee. Therefore, we custom roast in small batches as individual orders dictate.

We use a traditional European-style drum roaster. This hands-on method ensures that our coffee can be roasted to perfection. We take great pride in the art of consistently roasting every order that will bear our name.

More than 15 years of experience in the specialty coffee marketplace, coupled with our pledge for integrity, offer a unique opportunity for partnership. We trust that you will be completely satisfied should you select Dawson Taylor as your coffee roaster.

– Dave and Cindy Ledgard

Dawson’s has several locations around the Treasure Valley. For the full effect, head to 8th street.

What’s your experience with Dawson’s?

The Coffee Guy

A personal note to the first-timer:
Just so you know, Dawson’s is famous for being hardcore about supporting local coffee. NEVER discuss The Great Satan (Starbucks) in their presence. The picture below speaks for itself.

Boise Coffee

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Tag Archives: Dawson’s Downtown

Boise Pour-Over Coffee

Bringing taste and community to Boise: Dawson’s

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