Coffee connoisseurs should head to this new Des Moines spot

Lauren Ehrler
The Des Moines Register

There's a new coffee shop in town and it is raising the bar for your cup of joe.

Horizon Line Coffee at 1417 Walnut Street in Des Moines.

Horizon Line Coffee, a coffee bar and roastery tucked in a newly renovated Walnut Street building, officially opened in June. Since then, the bright, modern space has quickly become a hot spot for entrepreneurs at work, out-of-office meetings and self-proclaimed coffee snobs.   

Baristas hard at work at Horizon Line Coffee in Des Moines.

Horizon Line offers your standard coffee shop menu items like lattes, cappuccinos and Americanos. But on our visit, we wanted to try out some of their more unique offerings: I decided on the lavender thyme latte, and because my friend couldn't decide on just one item, she ordered the coffee flight. Yes, you read that right: coffee flight. (Horizon Line does call themselves a coffee bar, after all.) 

The coffee flight comprised a shot of espresso, a pour over and cold brew all of the same origin, the barista explained. He also recommended the best order of consumption. The three preparations of the Burundi coffee tasted fresh, citrusy and left my friend with a buzz of a new kind. 

My lavender thyme latte arrived at our table filled to the absolute brim with frothy milk and aromatic goodness. I've had lavender lattes before, but the floral flavor is usually accompanied by honey or vanilla. The thyme was a welcome new variation and helped prevent the lavender notes from being overly sweet.

A coffee flight, lavender thyme latte and two pastries at Horizon Line Coffee.

While sipping on our coffee, we also nibbled on some sweet treats from their pastry case. Horizon Line offers a small assortment — on this particular day it was a lemon cranberry scone and chocolate oatmeal cookie — but on Wednesdays and weekends they feature vegan doughnuts from local catering company Brightside Kitchen. 

The Vegan, made with espresso, almond milk, ginger beer and cinnamon at Horizon Line Coffee.

So many of the specialty drinks at Horizon Line beg for a return trip, like the sparkling Earl Grey tea on tap or the Canadian cold brew spiked with maple syrup. However, there was one drink I did rush back to try: the Vegan. This drink is made with espresso, ginger beer, almond milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It is served in-store only over a large block of ice. The drink is unlike anything I've ever tried; refreshing, full of spice and the ginger beer literally tickles your taste buds. 

Even if you are not a coffee connoisseur, you can still surely appreciate the craft and care Horizon Line dedicates to each drink. It's easy to notice Instagram-worthy latte art but few people probably realize the patience required to make the perfect pour over. On one visit, I even saw a barista hand-stamping Horizon Line logos on to-go cups. 

Horizon Line says they want to be "more than just your morning pick-me-up," and they deliver on that promise. 

Horizon Line Coffee

Find it: 1417 Walnut St., Suite B, Des Moines

Hours: Open daily 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Information:horizonlinecoffee.com or find them on Facebook