Need a boost of caffeine to carry you through the holiday season? Look no further than Revelator Coffee, a New Orleans-based shop that arrived in Birmingham this summer. Revelator is expanding its presence and its mission of brewing and selling high-quality coffee in the South. Stores in New Orleans and Chattanooga are set to open soon.
Revelator has a small, frequently-rotating coffee menu and focuses on crafting gourmet coffees for a variety of tastes. According to its website, Revelator “sources green coffees that possess beautiful and unique complexities and profile our roasts to highlight nuance and inherent qualities.”
They also emphasize professionalism and skill in baristas, which adds to the overall coffee experience.
All of Revelator’s equipment is American-made. The company uses a Seattle-made espresso machine that allows for customized roasts. Their mugs are from Kentucky-based pottery studio Louisville Stoneware, and herbal teas are from Flying Bird Botanicals in Bellingham, Washington. No detail goes unnoticed: even baristas’ aprons are custom-designed by New Orleans denim brand Holt McCall.
Revelator has been well-received in the Birmingham community so far. Samford student Elizabeth Mullins said she enjoyed her Revelator experience.
“Their menu is simple but quality,” Mullins said. “They have different brews and types of coffee regularly, and they describe it all based on flavor and aroma instead of strength, which is super unique.”
Mullins added that she was impressed with both regular coffee and specialty drinks.
“I’m a latte girl normally, and they don’t disappoint there either – they’re best paired with the pastries that they get from local bakeries daily for a top-notch breakfast,” she said.
Revelator is located next door to the Lyric Theatre and boasts a renovated interior by up-and-coming design firm Appleseed Workshop, which is also responsible for the design of Bottle and Bone in Uptown and Brick & Tin in Mountain Brook.
Revelator Coffee is located downtown at 1826 3rd Avenue North. The store is open seven days a week, 6:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Find them on Facebook or Instagram @revelatorcoffee.