“WE” is really just me, Cassandra Madsen ;)

I’m a coffee enthusiast because I love the taste but even more than that, I love the ritual.

When I think back to my FIRST cup of coffee, I am able to remember everything about the experience.

I had just started my first job after college. It was in Manhattan & I was commuting by train (1.5 hrs each way) from my parents house. It was February 2008 & the weather was COLD. I saw a long line out side the train station. Everyone was lining up at a coffee truck to get their cup of coffee for the ride into the city. I never had coffee before but it seemed like the thing to do so by day 3 of my new commute, I decided to get there a little early so I could stand in line for a cuppa. “Milk & Sugar?” … “Sure! I exclaimed like I knew what I wanted. Armed with my new ritual, I sat down in a window seat in took my first sip. Like I said, I’ll never forget it. It was a little watery & a little sweet, but good enough that I went back the next day & ordered another. From there on out, I tried coffee from carts all over the city & bodegas on every block. I dipped my toes into the the specialty coffee world by becoming a regular of the original Oslo in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. This was early on in the specialty scene & the aesthetic of their shop & quality of their coffee absolutely blew my mind. I went there every chance I got & met some of my best friends there over the years. I’m not sure if it was a community based around coffee or the space…maybe a combo of the two…either way, it was a highlight of my life.

Fast forward many years, many jobs & many cups later, it wasn’t until I worked as a barista that I really dove deep into single-origin coffee. I had attended many of wine tastings but it wasn’t until a coffee cupping that the door to an entirely new world (within a world I already lived) opened. I became enamored by the unique characteristics each origin offered, often overlooked when in a blend. I began acknowledging & respecting coffee as a plant.

When you begin thinking about coffee as a plant, affected by where it grows, you begin tasting the expression of the land & the impression the land has on the plant & consequently, your morning cup of coffee. Close your eyes, take a sip & be transported to the country where your beans were grown.

You can travel the world through this simple yet special ritual & Downhouse Coffee is a way for me to experience that with you. We hope to see you at our local market & community pop-ups! We are also available for private & corporate events, weddings & parties.

PS: “Downhouse” is just a word our son created for the word “basement” when he was 3. It was always one of our favorites of his so when thinking of a business name, that’s what I went with! It works, right? :)