Coffee meets bourbon day and night at Char & Stave in Ardmore

ByWendy Daughenbaugh WPVI logo

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

Char & Stave blend coffee and whiskey for unique drinks

Char and Stave combine coffee and whiskey for a unique drinking experience.

ARDMORE, Pa. (WPVI) -- When Char & Stave cut the ribbon on its new all-day cafe in March, it marked the introduction of what owner Jared Adkins calls coffee made by whiskey people.

There's a regular line of blends and single origins but the main focus is coffee made with bourbon barrel-aged beans.

Adkins is also the owner of Bluebird Distilling in Phoenixville and says aging the coffee beans in his bourbon barrels gives the coffee aspects of whiskey-caramel, toffee, and vanilla, creating what's almost like a dessert coffee.

You can also grab bags of coffee and bottles of Bluebird spirits and order a cocktail that literally combines the two.

The Char & Stave Martini mixes Bluebird vodka with Aztec chocolate bitters and cardamom syrup to create an espresso martini.

The Old Fashioned is Bluebird bourbon blended with their morning light roast. The Ardmore City Wide is a shot of espresso and a shot of bourbon enjoyed in whichever order you like.

And if you don't care for coffee, there are tea-based drinks like Rising Sun, a riff off a Mojito, with honey, green tea and chamomile.

Coffee and French pastries are the top sellers during the day.

The Whiskey Smash latte with bourbon barrel-aged espresso, frothed milk and a whiskey caramel reduction is already a favorite.

There are Happy Hour specials every weekday from 4-6pm.