Beginning March 1st, important changes are coming to Coffee Hound Normal. After 6 p.m. in-house mugs of coffee will be served by manual brew method only. Those who frequent the Normal locale may have noticed the unique wooden ‘shelf’ next to the register.

This pourover bar is used to deliver individual, custom brewed cups of coffee. Upon weighing out a specific dose of coffee, the barista brews the coffee by pouring out a carefully measured amount of water onto the grounds in the Hario dripper. The brewed coffee then pours through to the cup below and is immediately ready for consumption – no burnt tongues!

Steve Fritzen, president of Coffee Hound, has high hopes for the launch of the brew bar, primarily that customers will gain a new appreciation for the high quality product for which Coffee Hound is known. In contrast to the typically large batches of coffee from the urns that is usually served, manual pourover coffee is superior in several ways.

The quality is improved as baristas have control over each individual cup through water to coffee ratios and brewing temperature. These are both better controlled as the barista is working with a smaller, tailored dose of coffee. The end result is a fantastic cup of delicious coffee that highlights the flavor notes unique to each individual coffee.

Through March the Coffee Hound will be highlighting pourover coffee at a discounted price on Manual Mondays. All in-house mugs of coffee for the entire day of Monday will be served via pourover method at the same cost as large-batch coffee. This means a higher quality cup of coffee for just $1.95, the same price as a cup of drip coffee.

While the pourover method has a slightly longer delivery time, the higher quality taste and body of the coffee cannot be ignored. Education is a key factor in the launch of the brew bar, and Steve is striving to highlight the differences between alternative brewing methods of our cherished beverage. In addition, he hopes that the launch will allow for more interaction between customers and employees to further the Coffee Hound as a center of coffee culture in the Bloomington-Normal area.

“If you’re in Bloomington-Normal, you go to the Coffee Hound,” is the desired attitude for which Steve longs. If you’re in the Normal area be sure to try a pourover today, and as always ask our baristas any questions you might have!”