A new cafe with freshly roasted coffee beans, house-made syrups and coffee-infused cocktails is seeking to open within the next few months in Shirlington.
The Roasted Vine, which recently got construction permits approved at 4150 Campbell Avenue, offered the first taste of its cold brews and specialty blends at Celtic Fest earlier this month. Co-owner Mackenzie Ryan told ARLnow that initial responses were overwhelmingly positive.
“With every sip, everybody was like, ‘Oh my God, this is really good. You can taste the freshness,'” she said.
The all-day cafe plans to sell beans and grounds from Central America and East Africa in addition to cups of coffee, baked goods and booze. The house roast, The Rooster, will come with notes of toasted hazelnut, brown sugar and subtle chocolate, while the Night Moves dark roast has notes of caramel, toffee and dark chocolate.
“We wanted to create kind of a third space, you know — a space where you can either come in in the morning to get inspired, you can come in the middle of the day to meet a friend, or join us later in the night for an ending-night cocktail,” Ryan said.
Ryan and her co-owner, Jody Hessler, have a background in the hospitality industry and are the organizers behind the Shucktoberfest beer and oyster festival in Shirlington. The cafe will feature some of Hessler’s family recipes with grab-and-go items such as biscuits with jam and cinnamon roll bread.
“I don’t think I’ve ever had anything as delicious as this loaf of bread,” Ryan said of the cinnamon treat. “It has like a cream cheese glaze that we’re going to put on the side, so you can top it yourself.”
Other dishes will include artisanal sandwiches and charcuterie boards, all on the lighter side.
The Roasted Vine will face some competition from nearby Peet’s Coffee and Best Buns. In part, it will be distinguished by its selection of wines, beers and cocktails such as espresso martinis and a smoked espresso Old Fashioned, made with coffee bitters.
The cafe will roast its beans in-house, preserving complex flavors and allowing for more control over the flavor profile. Many of the early customers at Celtic Fest were “coffee snobs,” Ryan said affectionately — people who know what they’re looking for and can taste the difference between coffee varieties.
“To get feedback that they really loved the freshness and the composition of our roasts was very exciting,” she said.
The cafe is still working out some details around blends, specialty coffee drinks and cocktails, but Ryan wants it all to be “super organic and fresh.”
She is currently aiming to open around Christmas. In the meantime, The Roasted Vine plans to host pop-ups at farmers markets and other events in the area.
