A pour over coffee, pictured above, at SHIFT in downtown Eau Claire.

One day, I’m sitting in my favorite chair along the bar at my favorite coffee shop. The next, I’m holding onto my favorite mug back home, surrounded by friends during one of our recurring morning coffee dates.

Week after week, I relish the chance to reset and refuel in these cozy corners of the Chippewa Valley.

This time last year, we reported on how strangers and friends gathered together at the Eau Claire Coffee Club. We savored both fond memories of delicious bread pudding from Grand Avenue Café in Eau Claire. We even talked V1 staffers' coffee mugs of choice. 

Now, we turn our attention to generous amounts of cold foam, local roasteries, blind coffee taste-testing and scratch-made baked treats that pair perfectly with your brew.

Though the stories in "Coffee Culture" are always changing and the local businesses who supply those sips change too, each cup of java remains a comforting reminder of the warmth we feel when we choose to come together.

Cozy, balanced and bright; sure these are coffee notes, but they just as well are attributes our community strives for. And I for one am ready for something bright to come our way.

Read more stories from Volume One's annual special section on all things "Coffee Culture" online and in print.