First Look: M.E. Swing’s Roastery-Focused Coffee Bar and Lab

Photos courtesy M.E. Swing Coffee Roasters

Longtime Washington D.C.-based roastery M.E. Swing Coffee Roasters has unveiled its newest coffee bar in Del Rey. The company first moved into the space at 501 E. Monroe Ave. in January, and the on-site coffee bar opened this week, featuring open views to the roastery and simple and natural materials and colors palettes.

The bar includes pourover- and Chemex-brewed coffees, single-origin espresso pulled from a LaMarzocco Strada, as well as Swing’s cold-brew iced coffee on tap. Featuring tons of vintage decorative items — including a 1960s Swing’s sign, a 1930s Jabez-Burns cupping table and a 1950s Hobart grinder — the roasting and retail facility also includes a cupping lab and training center.

“We hold public cuppings and coffee tours weekly, and post a monthly training schedule for wholesale customers,” says Swing’s President and CEO Mark Warmuth, adding that training may cover topics such as brewing methods or espresso fundamentals.