Curious Coffee has a small setup inside Bløm Mead and Cider on South Fourth Avenue, but owner Mike Bawden wants you to leave knowing more about coffee than when you walked in. Mike spent years teaching before trading the classroom for a coffee roaster. That background still shows. He roasts every batch to order in small runs, then teaches customers how to get more out of those beans at home.
The coffee stays on the lighter side, giving each bean more room to show off what makes it different. Mike sources green coffee from farms around the world and works with growers by name. Recent bags have included Geisha, Pink Bourbon, and Chiroso, varieties you won't find at every Ann Arbor coffee shop. The selection changes almost every week.
The classes are where Curious Coffee gets especially fun. Mike offers small-group and one-on-one sessions covering home brewing, espresso, and latte art. You don't need to know your extraction percentage or own a fancy setup. You can show up curious and learn from there.
Regulars can join the Curious Coffee Club and choose two bags each month from the current lineup. Members also get a spot at a mid-month meetup, where Mike and the baristas brew the month's picks and offer a taste of what's coming next. Workshops are 10 percent off for members, too.
You'll find Curious Coffee inside Bløm Mead and Cider at 100 S. Fourth Ave. The coffee counter keeps separate hours from the bar, opening Thursday and Friday from 8 AM to 3 PM, Saturday from 9 AM to 2 PM, and Sunday from 9 AM to noon.
