On The Road: Morning Light Coffee Roasters

We are vacationing in Montana visiting our family.  Our first stop is Great Falls so of course we had to stop by local coffee refuge Morning Light Coffee Roasters.  This beloved local hangout is a must stop for Great Falls residents and tracks its roots in the state back to 1988. As you walk in the door, you are hit by an atmosphere that is at once western and friendly with a touch of the relaxed earthy feel most specialty coffee shops cherish.

Mrs. Darkroast, Tiny Roast and I were happy to be accompanied by my sister and brother-in-law.  I chose the triple shot cappuccino and found the brew good but a little watered down with milk (a common mistake I find with many baristas.) 

Mrs. Darkroast disagreed with me and felt it was just a medium roast unlike the dark intense roast I tend to prefer.  She's probably right, she usually is!  She had her usual vanilla cappuccino with caramel syrup, and tiny roast gave his vanilla milk a big smile and double nod.  Even so, the coffee had a nice earthy tone with low acidity and I still found myself enjoying it about an hour later. Mrs. Darkroast also purchased a cool mug made by Miam.Miam and we all devoured a light and fluffy berry muffin made at the shop.  Mrs. Darkroast wanted to sneak in the kitchen and steal the recipe.

Our real enjoyment at places like this comes in the atmosphere. Mrs. Darkroast feels I should give two ratings from now on -- one for the coffee and one for the atmosphere. I do feel like these are both critical components for a successful coffee shop. This place had a warm feel including a wall of coffee mugs where the regulars leave their personal cups.

Morning Light stakes its claim as the largest specialty coffee distributor in Montana with a variety of options for the western connoisseur. It was a nice spot and I am going to give it a B+ for it's coffee and an A- for atmosphere. We will be in Helena, Montana, later this week and will post from there when we check out Fireside Coffee.