Preservation Coffee & Tea
Preservation
This coffee shop is located in the downtown area of Modesto, CA. Previously known as Serrano’s Social Club, which was the first specialty coffee shop to grace Modesto, they offered a unique experience compared what this town was used to. Originally started by our friend, Tony Serrano(featured on the cover of Barista Magazine), he was at the forefront of bringing Third-Wave coffee to the Central Valley. Years later, the spirit of what Tony created still remains. With a desire to preserve(pun intended) the quality and love for specialty coffee, Preservation continues to serve high quality coffees, teas, and a variety of pastries. They also have some sweet merch.
A variety of beans is on rotation between four different coffee roasters. For espresso that week, they were serving blends by Cat and Cloud Coffee, coffee roasters based out of Santa Cruz, CA. “The Answer” and “The Truth” are each specially blended for espresso. “The Truth” is a blend of Ethiopian and Brazilian beans, it is light and crisp with a juicy flavor that will bring life to any cup. “The Answer” is a blend of Colombian, Brazilian and Ethiopian beans, its chocolate, fruity and predominantly caramel flavor will bring a warm, cozy and fuzzy feeling to any espresso based drink. Batch brewed coffee is rotated out daily between blends and single origin beans based on whatever the barista of the day is in the mood for, which keeps things fresh, even for the regulars.
From classic lattes to their “Cafe Brûlée”, which is a cappuccino with a torched sugar crust on the top, let me repeat that… A TORCHED SUGAR CRUST, there is seemingly no end to the different drinks that you can try. During my visit I had a cappuccino with almond milk. It had a thick layer of foam, which is normally not my cup of tea(well coffee,) but mixing it all together created a balance and consistency that made the whole drink have a whipped cream like texture that kept me coming back sip after sip. Well, more like chugs.
The atmosphere is simple. Not in a sterile Apple Store kind of way, but more so in an underground venue kind of way. The minimalism is approached with a slight hint of grunge, but still grassroots and charming. One of the best parts of the decor, is the ever changing art on the walls. Always created by local artists, it gives a whole new meaning to community by supporting local creatives and bringing in customers just to see what they’ll have next. They have a cute upper area that has a few tables and chairs, which is a little quieter for studying or working compared to the main area which is great for having a cup on your own or for chatting with a friend. This, along with all of their unique drinks and a constant change of roasters and art, makes this shop a must visit, over and over again.
