Drinks on the new Euphoria Espresso store in Calmar, Iowa. All photos courtesy of Euphoria Espresso.

Jubilation comes within the type of fresh-roasted espresso on the new Euphoria Espresso store in Northeastern Iowa.

Just a few miles north from Euphoria’s authentic location — which is now below new possession in close by West Union, Iowa — the second store spreads out in an 1,800-square-foot house in Calmar, designed to really feel like an immediately acquainted Midwest hangout spot. 

Euphoria in Calmar.

“What we have been going for was someplace between an previous traditional restaurant or steakhouse and your grandma’s basement,” Euphoria Espresso Founder and Calmar location proprietor Nick Yost lately informed Every day Espresso Information.

Inexperienced hanging lamps over black upholstered sales space alongside one wall are harking back to diners of yesteryear, with heat mild bouncing off 70s-style wooden wall paneling. The identical panels line the entrance of the bar, the place baristas work with a La Marzocco Linea Traditional AV paired with a Mahlkönig E65S grind-by-weight grinder. A Curtis G4 ThermoPro generates batch brews. Fiberglass bowling alley seats add to the store’s classic attraction. 

Euphoria in Calmar.

Coffees for each Euphoria areas are roasted by Yost in a 15-kilo Genio roaster, which sits in plain view of company on the authentic, extra modernistic authentic cafe in West Union. At that store, potted crops, together with native prairie grasses and flowers, brighten up a largely black and white inside. 

Yost lately bought the West Union cafe to its longtime supervisor, Nicole Havenstrite, who’s sustaining the espresso program, working intently with Yost.

The Euphoria roaster in West Union.

“Again within the day, we leaned into extra minimalist, impartial branding,” mentioned Yost. “We’ve actually centered extra on authenticity within the final yr and a half, and this [new] store is de facto an extension of that.”

Yost maintains further manufacturing house close to the West Union cafe, the place saved inexperienced coffees from plenty of espresso importers centered on long-term relationships with producers, together with Collaborative Origins, Lohas Beans, Crop to Cup and others. 

The West Union location.

“You’ll be able to name it direct commerce. I assume I concentrate on relationship coffees. I’m not large on buzzwords,” mentioned Yost. “We work instantly with some farmers. Even after I do a extra conventional route of working with an importer, it at all times comes with the request for entry to the farmer. I’ve discovered through the years that importers who’re keen to be like, ‘yeah, right here’s Don Santiago’s quantity, name it,’ they’ve earned my belief.”

Euphoria roasts of an anaerobic-natural-process espresso from Colombia lately received a number of medals on the Golden Bean roasting competitors. Whereas future Euphoria endeavors could embrace extra trade competitions, the roasting firm is targeted totally on operations at house. 

Euphoria in Calmar.

“I’m very a lot a ‘take alternatives as they arrive’ sort of individual. I’ve by no means actually been capable of pressure progress, so we’re simply eager to organically develop,” mentioned Yost. “I might like to open up perhaps two extra areas within the subsequent 5 years, however the appropriate alternatives are going to should current themselves.”

Euphoria Espresso is positioned at 110 Maryville St. in Calmar. Feedback? Questions? Information to share? Contact DCN’s editors right here.