Our “Behind The Bar'“ series highlights one of our team members, celebrating their unique contribution to the Tala experience. We believe the connection across the bar can be meaningful and impactful. Our team puts a smile on the faces of so many each day by simply serving delicious beverages and being an authentic presence in each person’s day. Learn more about what makes each person on the Tala Team unique with this personal interview.

Big Juice is here, and it’s exactly what it sounds like: loud, juicy, sunshine-in-a-cup energy built for the start of summer. This is our first seasonal blend designed specifically around fruit-forward intensity, layered fermentation, and pure fruity, seasonal joy.

The first time someone explained coffee fermentation to me, I nodded politely in the way people do when they absolutely do not understand what’s happening but would still like to appear employable in a specialty coffee setting.

A naturally processed coffee is one of those things that sounds a little intimidating until you realize it’s actually pretty simple. It’s not flavored coffee, and it’s not some overly technical coffee-world secret. It’s just a different way of handling the coffee cherry after it’s picked, and it has a huge impact on how the coffee tastes in your cup.

Ever wonder what it takes to keep your favorite Tala orders moving? Spend a day on the road with Zak, one of our neighborly delivery drivers, as he makes his way through Libertyville, Green Oaks, Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, Highland Park, Fort Sheridan, and Highwood.

Our newest release from Santa Barbara, Antioquia, Colombia, Andres Cardona, is the kind of coffee that instantly captures your attention and keeps you coming back for more. From its vibrant, red-fruit-forward profile to the thoughtful craftsmanship behind every step of its processing, this lot feels special from the very first sip.

Last Thursday, Highwood hosted our first-ever craft night! Designed for a good time, the doors opened at 6:30, and fellow crafters were welcome to join us to start, continue, or even finish their crafts from home in the presence of fellow creatives. 

It wasn’t until I started making matcha at home that I realized just how fun it can be. Truly, matcha prep has some ritual energy to it. It’s a little meditative, a little scientific, and a lot more approachable than it looks. Now it’s a daily moment I genuinely look forward to… and go to sleep thinking about!

If you’re even a little matcha-curious, this is your sign to try it at home.

“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.