Partner Program Highlight: CalibrÉ Coffee
“Every neighborhood needs a cafe,” Josh shares right off the bat. As the manager of Calibre Coffee, Josh along with the rest of the team, have made it a point to build something larger than just a location to grab a coffee to go. They saw the opportunity to create a place of connection for the surrounding community and have established themselves and continued to build on that very idea. From hosting weekly sponsored run clubs and summer car shows, to clothing pop-ups, to seeking out and encouraging his team to join him at other coffee and tea throw downs in the area, Calibre has a much wider reach than the four walls of their shop on route 72 in South Barrington.
The name, Calibré, is Italian for caliber. When I asked Josh to explain this, he described that it simply means to do everything they do with excellence. This overflows into all aspects of Calibré Coffee, from the intentional choice of coffee beans and roasters to their crafted drinks, to the quality teas, all while upholding the fundamental quality standards.
Something Josh was passionate about was the need for good coffee in the suburbs. Calibré does not disappoint when it comes to providing quality coffee and original ideas. The cafe features a unique rotating seasonal menu with international flavors and homemade recipes. This is one of the things that makes Calibré so fun and surprising to check out. I am no stranger to trying the fun specialty drinks at a new cafe, but Calibré had enough intriguing latte and tea-based drinks that I decided I would need to visit again before I even placed my first order. And that was just the milk-based drink menu.
If you’re looking for a drip, pour-over, or strong espresso-based drink, Calibré uses rotating local and national/international roasters that change every few weeks, so you can always come in and try something new. On the menu, there were options from Tala Coffee Roasters and 4 Letter Word, with two different options for drip, two for pour over, and a rotating espresso that is cupped and chosen by Josh and the team. As we talked, I was quietly raving about the “Sampaguita” off of the seasonal menu while Josh went a little more traditional and was sipping on Tala’s very own Mastercol-Terra from Huila, Colombia, brewed on drip.
My drink was inspired by the national flower of the Philippines, an Arabian jasmine, Josh shared. It was a matcha-based drink (from a local Barrington distributor!) with a jasmine oat milk tea as the base, and I’m still thinking about it. It was on the sweeter side and reminded me of Fruit Loops, the perfect little treat!
Josh had come up with the recipe and shared that coming up with new drinks and trying out new ideas is one of their favorite things to do at Calibré Coffee. Especially for the summer and the spring, he shared, they were overwhelmed with all the ideas and possibilities. When it comes to their menu, Josh does his research in order to cater to all types of coffee and tea lovers, and his hard work pays off. He also mentioned that they may be switching up the menu every few weeks in order to make room for all their ideas, so make sure to check in often to see how the menu may be changing!
As we continued to chat, customers would come in and see Josh and wave and say hello and good morning before continuing on their way. Josh holds relationships very highly and told me that he had met some of his best friends through Calibré, through their mutual love for coffee or tea. He loves how a good product can bring people together: “you get to be a part of someone’s day and make someone’s day.” Jokingly, he added that sometimes he sees the regulars who come into the cafe every day more than his family. And that seemed very fitting for the relationship that intentional baristas have with their customers, who turn into friends.
As far as their coffee needs go, Calibré seeks out roasters who have similar values to their own. They seek to keep one local roaster at all times because it’s easier to build relationships with companies and people that you can meet. “You can get products in a pinch and know who you’re working with,” he shared. Calibré Coffee doesn’t stop at the state lines or even the country borders; they will source and sample international roasters to keep it interesting in the cafe.
When we came around to the topic of favorite roasters, Josh (without my prompting, I promise!) gave a shoutout to Tala for the light / medium profile coffees that he likes to serve up at Calibré. He mentioned this specific one (Masstercol) was a real crowd pleaser, and although it was only supposed to be for a season, Josh said they keep coming back to Tala for more coffees because it fits with what they do and aim for at Calibré Coffee.
Haley Horvat
Meet Haley, our resident globetrotter here at Tala. When she’s not behind the bar, she’s likely baking something sweet or traveling the world, making new friends along the way. She’s always chasing good coffee and her next adventure!