Second State Coffee

OUR ARTICLE

Craftsmanship and hospitality drive the Second State Coffee company. They strive to source, roast and craft some of the best coffees in the world and in the process share with you a unique coffee experience in an approachable manner. The team stands proud with it’s “more than just a coffee shop” mantra in a city that holds craftsmanship and hospitality in the highest regard.

This specific mindset was the driving force for the mission of owners Jayme Scott and Ross Jett, who took mental notes on what they saw in brief stints in SF and NYC, and aimed to bring vital pieces of those sights to life in a coffee retreat in the city they held closest to their souls. Thus was Black Tap built within old wooden walls in Charleston’s historic Harleston Village neighborhood.

Second State is unrestricted culture, an organic environment in which the mind can drift like a sailing rig off the Carolina coast

Swing open the door and walk up the century-old creaking steps to enter the minimalistic world. The air inside is fresh with insight and simplicity and is decorated with black-and-white photos, custom-built tables made of heart pinewood, and a bar to lean on with your espresso while flipping the day’s paper.

And the coffee, in so many forms, feels just as welcoming as the setup. It’s an understood standard that you don’t have to be a coffee professional to enjoy a piping hot or cold creation handed your way. Here, coffee is an approachable conversation for first timers or connoisseurs, as the taste and preparation speaks for itself.

Blends originating from Africa, Asia, and Central and South America are roasted in a 15-kilo Loring Falcon Smart Roaster. This piece of hardware is easily the Tesla of coffee, as the Loring is the most technologically advanced roaster in the world.

Second Slate Coffee is an unrestricted culture, an organic environment in which the mind can drift like a sailing rig off the Carolina coast. And when the day hits with the splash of late afternoon sun on the wall, don’t pass up on the Black Julep to seal the day’s deal, a coffee cocktail that’s been served up in Black Tap for the last five years. 2 oz of espresso, 1 oz of hot water, 1/2 oz of honey, and a couple muddled mint leaves, shaken and strained over crushed ice — this concoction adds a whole new definition to vices.

When you decide to step out of the shop feeling that energetic buzz, take a stroll down to Historic Charleston City Market and do what you’re supposed to in this city: wander and get respectfully lost within its thick spirit.