Novo Coffee gets some national buzz

By Joel Warner Tue., Feb. 2 2010 at 4:46 PM

Is it uncouth to boast that we here at Westword were among the first to sing the praises of Novo Coffee? We knew the stuff coming out of this family-owned roaster was so good that we tagged along when one of its founders went in search of a mythical bean in the wilds of Ethiopia. And, of course, we graced it with one Best of Denver award after another.

Now the world is finally taking notice of Novo. The January issue of Bon Appetit names Novo's three retail locations among the top-10 best boutique coffee shops in the country. Not long before, MSN named Novo one of the 12 top coffee roasters coast to coast.

But Novo, which also provides beans for discerning eateries around the region, won't be roasting on its over-caffeinated laurels. Herb Brodsky, who founded Novo eight years ago with his two sons, Jake and Joseph, reports the company is updating its 5,000 square-foot roastery on Larimer Street to incorporate a professional coffee-cupping lab where bean savants can slurp away at the nuanced flavors of the operation's impeccably sourced, single-origin coffees.

We'll be waiting at the door come opening day, ready to get our cuppa joe on.