happy coffee — Restaurant in Sister Bay

An energetic shop operating a third wave coffee experience with home-made flavor syrups and coffee at a reasonable price. Upbeat personalities with a welcoming smile.

I got three things: Cold brew, cortado, and mocha.

Cold brew: Light in color with a thin body. The staff made sure to tell me "This is not a strong cold brew; we don't use s concentrate. While I am open to a lighter, refreshing cold brew experience, I don't think the flavors I got were exciting. More of a dull, "essence of coffee" flavor with nothing else to add. I was quite disappointed. However, the attendant was kind, and offered me something else to spend my caffeine budget on; I picked a cortado.

Cortado: Since these can be made with shots and leftover milk, and is espresso-forward, it's a great pick-me-up. It was pretty strong, with roasty notes and a prominent acidity; a medium roast. The milk texturing wasn't really there since this was likely leftover milk. The taste was good, though! I would buy this again.

Iced mocha: A bit on the sweeter side, with a bit of the cocoa powder grit, which tells me they indeed do make their own mocha syrup. It's pretty good, but nothing extraordinary. The espresso compliments the chocolate well, and it's a good mouth feel. I would buy it...

Service was professional, friendly and the line moved quickly. This was my first time trying Happy Coffee since they took over and I'm sad to say the cold coffee here is tasteless. I wish I were exaggerating. I had a cold brew with cherry cold foam and it tasted like water. The foam was done correctly but there was only a hint of cherry.

I'm not sure the barista is to blame since cold brew can be a tricky animal, especially when you use a lighter roast of coffee and then dilute that further. It's not clear what kinds of beans they're using but I believe this is a lighter roast (it's unclear), which doesn't lend itself to mixing with milk or anything else. Unless you're using beans from a specific region with a unique flavor profile or you're drinking it black you're not going to get much from a lighter roast cold brew. So I'm guessing the foam overpowered the coffee here and if that's happening, they should switch the cold brew to a different roast or different beans; either way, it's way too dilute.

Maybe the espresso based drinks are better or perhaps it was an off day but there are so many other coffee places serving great beans in Door County that I struggle to...

What a beautiful, HAPPY and authentic coffee shop in Sister Bay. This is the first time I've stopped in; I asked for their recommendations on beverages to try/what they are known for. They did not disappoint! They said they make ALL of their syrups and flavorings in-house AND partner with a local roaster called Kick Ash Coffee. I usually order straight coffee but today I tried their Pecan latte and the Caramel latte - flavorful, sweet (but not too sweet) and deliciously frothy. LOVE it. I also grabbed a shot of espresso to taste the beans in one strong hit and it was great! No bitterness, it was tangy, and smooth. Very delicious and the baristas were so helpful and happy. They also have a loft for additional seating with a happy fireplace and plenty of table space. There are a few outlets on the wall to plug in for some laptop/charging time. They also have patio seating outside accented with their iconic stacked rocks and landscaping. What a wonderful morning...