Roaster: Espresso from Sweet Bloom Coffee Roaster, based in Colorado. For pour overs, they offer beans from roasters from all over the country.

Opened: 2012

Drinks Menu: Small, traditional espresso menu with only a few drinks, including latte and Americano. There are a couple espresso choices to choose from.

Food Menu: A few pastries and a large lunch/dinner menu.

Espresso Machine: Simonelli manual machine

Brew Options: Kyoto dripper for iced coffee, V60 pour overs, and traditional drip coffee.

Location: Cottleville, MO

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Specialty Drinks: Cascara tea made with dried coffee cherries. While Starbucks has shot cascara into the mainstream vocabulary, its cascara latte in no way resembles the fruity, sweet tea it takes its name from. I was looking for a place where I could try the real deal and VB is the only one in St Louis I’ve found (so far, at least). You can get it hot or iced.

Review:

Located in the historic downtown of Cottleville, Missouri, VB Chocolate Bar is a hidden gem in the St. Louis coffee world. It delivers a wealth of caffeine options, including hot tea and drinking chocolate in addition to coffee. They make their own ice cream and chocolate, offer a lengthy food menu, and have a full bar if you’re looking for something harder than coffee.

                While they don’t offer many flavors or creative espresso drinks, the diversity comes in with the coffee bean menu for pour overs and espresso. They offer a house espresso and guest espressos from Sweet Bloom. For something sweeter and more decadent, you can get drinking chocolate (kick it up a notch by adding espresso shots) or affogato made with homemade ice cream and espresso.

                The space itself embodies the eclectic vibe and comfortable seating that you want in a coffee shop. It’s located in a refurbished ranch-style house with multiple rooms furnished with aged tables and mismatched chairs. In front of the counter where you order, you'll find shelves with rows of VB chocolate bars inviting you to indulge. There’s also a variety of seating to choose from with a long wooden table, a few two- and four-top tables, and cushy arm chairs. From here, you take a couple steps down into a full bar with an impressive spread of liquor bottles and tightly packed tables filling the majority of the space.

                While the space is comfortable and inviting, what’s really noteworthy about VB is the caliber of coffee. I’ve encountered two baristas on my visits and both impressed me with their friendly manner, service, and barista skill. They knew the menu well and could answer my questions. They poured excellent drinks and even brought the drink to my table when it was ready. In addition to being well prepared, the Sweet Bloom espresso always offers an interesting fruity flavor that’s not too acidic.

                If you make the trek to Cottleville, which is about 45 minutes from St. Louis, I highly recommend making a stop at VB. Whether you prefer tea, coffee, or chocolate, this shop offers an enjoyable caffeine fix.