Trail Coffee

Roasters

A night club turned pharmacy, turned coffee shop and roastery is making some waves in the San Joaquin Valley, and man, is it awesome! They have quite the story. Before the shop, there was a family coffee farm named Cerro de Jesus, based in Central America. Located in the highest mountain region of northern Nicaragua, they’re producing high-quality, bio-diverse green coffee beans out of Nicaragua’s Cloud Forest for wholesale distribution. Fast forward years later, they now have their own coffee shop and roastery located in the up and coming downtown area of Stockton, CA. With goals to expand their location into a little grab and go eatery, their aim is to eventually open more shops around town and other cities. Partnering with local businesses, they also provide the coffee beans to Cast Iron Trading, a brunch, and beer bar and have worked with local breweries to create a delicious coffee-infused beer. They have a real sense of community and are excited about what they can offer Stockton.

There’s something really unique about a coffee shop that not only roasts their own beans but also sources them as well. Coffee is a seasonal fruit, so in order to maintain the perfect cup, Trail Coffee Roasters utilizes their own farm along with others. In doing so, they are able to offer a diverse variety of beans to choose from for whatever your coffee needs may be. While we were visiting they were roasting, and serving, a Kenya Kirinyaga for espresso. It has flavors as complex and bright as the art that you see all over the downtown area. Drip is rotated out seasonally, and sometimes daily, for an exciting cup every day.

Their menu is simple but certainly not boring (just the way I like it.) Multiple options for non dairy drinkers are also available, such as Almond milk and Oat milk. I ordered a cappuccino with oat milk which was smooth and perfectly balanced with the espresso. It was like sunshine on an abstract painting. Johnny had a cappuccino with whole milk which was fruit forward and perfectly textured with the milk. Both drinks were perfect to warm us up from the rain trickling outside. To eat, I had a peanut butter and banana toast, on their fresh sourdough that was great alongside my cappuccino. Johnny got a salmon charcuterie board which he described as “was colorful, fresh, and delicious”.

Immediately when we walked in we noticed a theme going on. The modern mountain and moon wall decor was like hiking through the mountains or trails, if you will, but in a retro meets modern kind of way. What was most exciting is that when you first walk in you are met by a beautiful display of their roasting room which is artistically painted with blooming coffee trees. Right in the center was a bright red Diedrich coffee roaster, an American made roaster that features infrared and heat exchanger technology. The shop is aesthetically pleasing with plenty of seating, wooden tables, open space, and head turning details; paired with a strong food mean and amazing coffee makes this shop a must-visit.