Coffee Culture: Refuge Coffee

In Downtown Fairhope, right around the back corner at Fairhope avenue and Bancrof, sits a cofee shop that Mobile Bay cofee connoisseurs have been awaiting for quite some time. Finally, fnding a quality single-origin pour over in this area is not only possible in our homes.

Jim Mclean, owner and visionary behind Refuge cofee, is a passionate and humble individual, full of genuine interest for his community and his customers. Te shop, open 6:30am6pm, specializes in espresso and a variety of method brew options, including pour over and cold brew. Customers will only fnd one favor on the menu at refuge, being mocha—and that is something that we at Ant Farm can really get behind. Starting as a roasting company in Guatemala, this shop has seen the entire process through, “from cherry to cup” as we say, and has positioned itself to enlighten the Fairhope area with its delicious skill.

Jim: “Tere was a vision, that when people leave their house for work, or whatever it is that they do, the world can bring such a cacophony their way—our way— and we have no escape. We are, in a way, stuck between work and home. We wanted to be a place of refreshing; a second living room in the urban center for people.Tere are certainly other places as such, but we wanted to be one focused on a striving to hit the sweet-spot of fne cofees.

“Te art and science of cofee being such a non-linear process demands complete attention to detail all day long. We enjoy the process of raising up baristas passionate about trying to perfect every drink they create, all the while focusing on being a people committed to loving and fostering community.

"Most baristas’ dream is to origin, or the farm where their cofee was grown. We felt led to start at origin, in Antigua, Guatemala, and to then bring origin to south Alabama. Part of our goal is that our customers would get excited about tasting origin cofee, as it is, with no additives. We believe that when you begin with a class A bean, roast it correctly to highlight where it’s from, then put it in the hands of a well trained barista who is striving to pull the perfect shot of espresso, no sugar or favored syrups are needed.”

With a story like that of Refuge, no article can do justice to the hard work and diligence put into making their product. However, we’re sure that if you ask him, Jim would love to share a little with you, while you sit and refresh.