Let’s get one thing straight, LA Mill is not a normal coffee house.

It’s an overwhelming, vacation-worthy destination. Greg Torres, VP business developer of LA Mill, says the coffee here is intended to be a “culinary experience” and believe you me, that is precisely what I got.

Set in artsy Silverlake, the brand new cafe is light and reflective, grounded in colorful, modern design that reads at once “Urban Outfitters meets fashionably posh”. A paradox of a diner, this self professed “coffee boutique” is an educational mecca of coffee cupping that offers an eye-opening, international menu of extraction methods above and beyond what one normally encounters with their beloved bean. (Not to mention extraordinary food that could do with an article all for itself. Just ask Jonathan Gold).

While the pricing for coffee drinks is similar to most cafes, the overall experience left me grinning in sheepish disbelief as if I had been allowed to witness what only the absurdly rich are usually able to afford.

Sitting at the edge of the cool, white counter I was treated to a scintillating display of a few of the coffee-brewing methods available at LA Mill: The Siphon method, from Japan, was something out of a gastronomical science fiction novel, bubbling and brewing over a small flame as if animated by the gods. Using an Aged Sumatra Peaberry blend, the resulting coffee tasted deeply well-rounded and spectacularly clean-tasting, without even a hint of bitterness.

Barely having time to comprehend the glow of this freshly brewed friend, another oddity was placed before me. This extraction method, known as Eva Solo, hails from Denmark and manifested it’s glory in a glass carafe that resembled an elegant little businessman wrapped in a spiffy black wet-suit.

As the manager tended to the brew, he offered up a mini lesson in why CO2 is so important for a fresh, proper cup of coffee, yet remains the enemy to a well-made shot of espresso. Can you believe this place? Foodies and science nerds have never had so much in common.

And I’m just reporting the tip of the iceberg folks.

Sip after sip, regardless of what I usually prefer in a roast, I found that LA Mill’s coffee just tasted like the truth. My boyfriend, a devout milk ‘n sugar man, quite suddenly stated that he could drink the Golocha Ethiopian roast (prepared using the Eve Solo method) all by itself. The latte was equally inherently sweet, and profoundly drinkable, which, oh I don’t know, might have something to do with the fact that they also use organic milk co-developed by “many notable baristas” intended specifically to be used with coffee.

Seriously.

If that isn’t enough, this intense new home for coffee lovers comes equipped with a separate, reserve-able room resembling something out of the Getty’s Decorative Arts wing, where a barista will guide you along a personalized coffee tasting experience. Recalling complexities akin to the world of wine sommeliers and French chocolatiers, dipped in high-end exclusivity aimed at the average coffee-drinker who may be unaware of how accessible such divine treatment can be, LA Mill is a fun, insanely informative and impressive place to get yourself a truly serious cup of coffee.

Make sure to visit their Silverlake location on June 24th when, in connection with Bikes For Rwanda, they’ll serve up free samples of coffee from Rwanda.

To win a $30 gift certificate to this cafe leave a message saying why they deserve to win! Then go vote in our LA Coffee Competition Now!

Photos by Jamie

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