Small Town Americana: Infusco Coffee Roasters

I love the hustle, bustle, and excitement of large cities, but there is something about small town USA that seems to be appealing to everyone. For me, that’s what the Fourth of July brings.

The celebration begins with a parade—kids on bikes, lifeguards in a pickup truck, and three, 90-year-old, life-long friend grand marshals. All are decked out in red, white, and blue and led by colonially dressed flag bearers, flute players, and a drummer.

My hometown USA July 4th continues with lots of family and fireworks scattered all along Michigan’s sandy shores.

Sawyer is my summer home. In recent years the little town has turned into a popping summer destination. Complete with a garden center, microbrewery, boutique clothing shops, antique stores, and the Warren Dunes, Sawyer has everything you need for an afternoon of fun and relaxation.

Infusco Coffee Roasters is situated right in the middle of it all.

Atmosphere

Infusco blends the simple rustic touches of a roastery with the homey feel of a small-town shop. The shop is always busy with locals, but not packed—all friendly and willing to offer a smile to anyone, stranger or not.

“Simple rustic touches” really means just that. The wood tables and trim, creative crate shelves, and metal pipes for detailing are all set against white walls and a concrete floor. Plants in colorful pots, drift wood, and old books add creativity to the décor.

The centerpiece of the space is a bright mural artistically depicting the sun, waves, and hills of the Michigan coast.

Quick side note: Burlap sacks are another item I consistently find in coffee shops, whether they have a rustic atmosphere or not (at least 50% of coffee shops, I’m not joking). We can add that to my running list of coffee shop essentials. Ok, end side note.

As stated in the name, Infusco is a microroaster, meaning they roast all of their beans in-house in small batches with extreme care and precision. You can even watch the whole process through a large viewing window.

Infusco is a great place to camp out and get some work done or grab a mug and catch up with old friends (don’t worry, I’ve tested both to make sure this theory is true). Just this week I spent a few hours there with my friend Alyssa—yay, remote jobs—working hard and having good conversation about everything from the enneagram to life lessons to chacos. A few days later I was back to write this post and spend some quality time with two of my cousins.

Drinks & Prices

Alyssa & Our Lattes

Because I’ve been to Infusco so many times with many different people, I have a large repertoire of drinks to base my report on. As far as drip brew goes, they rotate through light and dark roasts from various regions of the world. One local recommends combing the roasts to make his own medium blend.

Infusco’s lattes are very strong…one of the strongest I’ve had, probably because there are three shots of espresso in a medium. But there are lots of syrups and milks to mix up the flavors. My cousin Eryn ordered a latte with oat milk and half the normal amount of cinnamon, it was amazing.

COLD BREW. Well, more accurately, nitro cold brew. Literally every other person has ordered one. With cream. Without cream. All sizes. I even got one at my last visit, and they definitely live up to the popular demand.

All of Infusco’s drinks are smooth, non-acidic, and have enough caffeine to make me shaky (also probably because I didn’t have any food beforehand). They also sell fresh pastries, bagged coffee, and have very fair prices.

Everyone I know that really likes coffee loves Infusco because their drinks have strong flavor. Hot, cold, or make it your own, Infusco has all of your coffee options. Also, I particularly like coffee shops that serve their drinks in mugs or mason jars, it adds to the whole experience.

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So, how did you spend the 4th? Small town or big city? Lots of family or just a few close friends? No matter how you celebrated, I hope you enjoyed your time and had some sort of coffee involved!