Infusion Coffee & Tea Crafters

Roasted in Tempe, poured in North Phoenix

Coffee roasted by the same company a few miles away is the starting point here. The North Phoenix branch of Infusion Coffee & Tea Crafters pours beans roasted in house at the brand's Tempe site, where the roasting room sits behind glass next to the cafe floor, and the single origins rotate seasonally with the harvest calendar rather than staying fixed. Buying is done through direct relationships with farmers and vetted importers, and every lot is tested before purchase. Founder Patrick O'Malley has spent more than three decades in coffee as a teacher, consultant and competition judge, and set up the International Barista and Coffee Academy in 2012, three years before the first Infusion cafe opened in 2015. The academy and the roastery share a building, which is why the coffee here reads as the output of a lab rather than of a supply order.

A slow bar, a drive-thru and a long tea list

This branch is the brand's drive-thru, and it kept everything else as well: a walk-up counter, indoor seating and a patio. The espresso bar runs alongside a slow bar with an unusual range of methods, covering V60, Chemex, Aeropress, French press, moka pot and ibrik, plus cold brew, nitro and cold drip. The combination is unusual for a drive-thru site, where the format normally forces a short menu. Tea is not a secondary category either. The loose leaf list runs long and is sourced with the same intent as the coffee, with a black mango iced tea among the drinks people order most. Food is straightforward and built for the morning: breakfast sandwiches such as the Sunrise Sandwich and the Bisbee, egg bites, bagels and pastries, with gluten free options including a bagel.

Order the Bee's Knees first

Start with the Bee's Knees, a sparkling Americano with honey and lemon. It is the drink that explains the bar's approach fastest: a good espresso base, carbonation instead of milk, and two ingredients that sharpen the coffee rather than covering it. From there the signature list is worth a second visit, with the Ginger Twist built on house cold brew with ginger, lemon and vanilla, and the SproJ pouring a double shot straight over fresh orange juice. For a straighter read on the roasting, order the rotating single origin as espresso or on the slow bar and compare it against the batch brew. Pair either with a breakfast sandwich, which is the food this counter is set up to do well.