Lilac Coffee

Lilac Coffee sits on East Colfax in east Denver, a drive-thru with a walk-up window and a small outdoor seating area painted purple to match the name. The shop is bootstrapped and locally owned by Josiah, a lifelong Aurora resident who built the operation from nothing. The beans come from Corvus Coffee Roasters, a Denver roaster that takes its sourcing seriously. The honey lilac latte runs as the signature. The seasonal ube latte rotates in when the bar feels like it. Hours run six to four daily. The Colfax location is the original drive-thru, with the line of regulars who learned about the shop early and never left. Order the honey lilac latte if you came because the name is the drink. Order a Corvus drip if you came to taste what Colorado is roasting and want the version with no syrup in the way.