A Food Review: Mile Zero Coffee in Victoria, BC

I’m a long-time coffee drinker.  I love my first cup of coffee in the morning, and really, I’m not at my best until I have it in the morning.  With the pandemic and being at home even more than usual (I’ve been working from home for many, many years!) I thought I would switch up my caffeine and try something new.  That’s what this Food review: Mile Zero Coffee is all about.  

Our Experience

Why Mile Zero Coffee?  We have a plethora of local roasters and boutique purveyors of coffee in Victoria, BC, so, there are a lot to choose from.  In fact, to help our local businesses during this pandemic, I have made it a point to go for a afternoon cappuccino at a few different shops, to try out their brew, and see what I might like to bring home.  Hide & Seek on Oak Bay Avenue, and Township Coffee on Tyndall are two of my current favorites.

My husband gets out and about everyday for work, and started repeat visits to Mile Zero Coffee, near the City of Victoria Public Works yard for a specific reason – cappuccinos are made correctly!  We prefer ours ‘euro-style’ with a distinct taste of the espresso, and with minimal milk.  Not exactly a macchiato, but distinctly not the latte’s so prevalent at many places. 

I got to thinking, if they do that well, I wonder what their roasted coffee is like?  I did some research on their blends and reached out to them.  Brad, the owner (that’s him below behind the mask!) was extremely helpful.  I am very keen on dark roasts, in the French/Italian roast style.  Mile Zero has an extra dark roast called Nero that sounded like it might fit the bill.  Brad said they didn’t have it brewed all the time, so if I could let him know when I wanted to visit, he would brew some up for me!

The Tasting

The day came and we were in for a treat!  Brad provided a full tasting of four different blends:  Nero (extra dark), Victoria (dark), Island espresso blend – full city roast (medium dark), and Honduras (medium).

Brad was on hand, and we learnt a great deal about coffee, and coffee tasting.

Coffee is very personal.  Just like wine, what you like, others may not.  It really is in your best interests to try a lot of coffee till you find what you like.  What you like now, you may shift away in the future, so be open to trying out new types.

Tasting coffee is similar to wine tasting.  Sip your coffee and suck in some oxygen to open it up.  Where do you feel it on your tongue?  Bitter is on the sides of your tongue, more mellow roasts hit the middle back of the tongue.  Where were the beans grown?  In what type of climate?  

Coffee bean vs. roasting.  Hmmmm…similar to grape and wine-making.  Do you want to taste the coffee bean and its flavour characteristics or is what you taste all to do with the roasting method?  Darker roasts typically have lower caffeine.  That means that you may want to have a couple or more coffees you like in your home.  

What coffee maker is best?  I like the coffee with nothing in it.  The best option is a Bialetti. Originating in Italy, it’s a great, simple, easy way to produce great coffee.  With many models to choose from, there is one that will complement your kitchen and your appliances!

The Plan

As a result of the tasting, Brad suggested I undertake taste testing at home with a couple different blends.  I opted for the Victoria and the Nero blends.  Using my Bialetti Amore, I measure out and weigh my coffee amounts each day and record the results.  I’m learning a lot about my tastes and how they differ morning vs. afternoon.  

Mile Zero Coffee

Located on Bridge St. in Victoria, BC, this big space is clean, inviting and pleasantly industrial.  The roasting machines are on and interesting to watch, and the staff are well informed and helpful.  In addition to the coffee, check out the pastries on hand for your coffee stop.  

Beans are available for purchase and they will also grind it for your maker.  In larger quantities, custom blends are also available.  Freshness of the beans is paramount – the date of roasting is on your bag of coffee beans!  Highly recommend!  The experience and wealth of information was unexpected, and really made it a great time.  We’re enjoying the coffee, and look forward to trying out more blends in the future!

In addition to this Food review: Mile Zero Coffee, check out our other Food Reviews!