TWO SHOPS, ONE STOP. Bloomer Brewery and Phoenix Coffee officially opened their joint space over Memorial Day weekend.

Sometimes you stumble upon something you didn't know you needed, but once you find it, you don’t know how you ever lived without it. For me, this happened in 2005 when I ”discovered” Valentina hot sauce. There's just something about that combination of viscosity and heat I’ll never get over. I felt the same “How did I live without this?” sensation when I first walked into the new Bloomer Brewery Taproom and Phoenix Coffee in downtown Eau Claire.

Facing Barstow Street on the first floor of the Andante Building (101 N. Barstow St.), this shared space is exactly what downtown Eau Claire has been missing. It’s stylish without pretentiousness, it’s refined without exclusion, it’s casual without neglect. It’s exactly the sort of spot to set the mood for your lively morning or to unwind from your stressful day. 

The Phoenix Coffee half is open from 6am to 6pm daily. They offer the full coffee experience with espressos, lattes, and frappes of various flavors and caffeine concentrates. While you are also able to get your bakery fix with a pick of pristine goodies, the stars of the menu are the everything bagel sandwiches coming in six varieties. Each one is a delight and they all deserve your attention. 

The Bloomer Brewery half is open Sunday noon-8pm, Monday-Wednesday 4-9pm, Thursday 4-10pm, and  Friday-Saturday noon-10pm.  Offerings at the large bar include pretzel bites and build-your-own pizzas. However, the main focus of this terrific taproom is beer. With 12 beers on a monthly rotation, there’s bound to be something everyone can enjoy. And if the flavorful selection is not enough to get you in the door, happy hour every Monday through Thursday from 4 to 6pm and the bottoms-up taps – which you have to see to believe – will certainly do the trick. 

Just like the hot sauce I now put on everything, you’ll find yourself looking for any excuse to swing by Eau Claire’s next great venue. With coffee and beer, there’s never a time not to visit. 

Phoenix Coffee bagel sandwich.

Phoenix Coffee register.

Bloomer Brewing bar.

Keep up with Phoenix Coffee and Bloomer Brewery on Facebook • Visit them in the Andante building in downtown Eau Claire (101 N. Barstow St., 100 N. Farwell St.)