“Giv” another 100 miles to go here for Connecticut coffee!

The Ride

I’m based in New York and always looking for Connecticut coffee spots. With a compass distance of 53.2 miles indicated on the Beeline Moto to my destination in Canton, CT, I hopped onboard the BMW S1000R, thumbed the starter motor, and pulled out, knowing some excellent Connecticut roads and sights were waiting for me.

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Early in the ride, I turned onto Chapel Road, which led me to the Mead Memorial Chapel, which is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places located in Waccabuc, NY.  It was built in the early 20th century by Sarah Frances Studwell Mead to honor her husband, George Washington Mead, who had died in 1899. Constructed entirely of stone, it has a steep slate roof with a bell tower in a late Gothic Revival style.  Today, the chapel is managed by descendants of Sarah Mead and is available for various events.  While the chapel is located at the corner of Chapel Road & Mead Street, just a bit further down Mead Road is the original homestead of the Mead family, also on the historic register.

A quick diversion onto Route 7 heading towards Danbury ended as I took Starrs Plain Road leading to Long Ridge Road.  Following along the ridge on the northeast side of Route 7, this is a beautiful winding country road passing by many small farms, perfect for a scenic outing on a motorcycle.  I avoided the downtown area of Danbury, CT, as I pointed the nose of the BMW S1000R toward the northeast, following the Beeline compass.

I had one part just east of Brookfield, CT, where I felt like Milo in the Doldrums of The Phantom Tollbooth.  Every street said it was a road with no signs indicating “No Outlet,” yet each ended in a cul de sac.  Looking at the map after the ride, I discovered that the area was called Obtuse Hill.  That area was lacking in sensibility, so it was well-named!

Near Roxbury, CT, I tried a few roads that turned into dirt roads.  While I don’t mind dirt roads in general, the S1000R isn’t the ideal mount for them, so I prefer to stick to paved roads.  Still, I marked them on my GPS to return at another time on the R1200GSA.

Near Woodbury, CT, I turned onto Route 6 and grabbed fuel.  Woodbury is home to many antique stores, several housed in former residences alongside Route 6, and feels that time has stood still there with an animal feed store as well.  I continued north on Route 6, following the fuel stop with a nostalgic feeling.  Route 6 is a picturesque country road that my parents would often divert us onto from Interstate 84 as we headed to a weekend house in Western Massachusetts from our apartment in NYC.  As Route 6 comes into Watertown, it passes along the campus for the Taft School, one of many boarding schools found in Connecticut.

After Watertown, Route 6 passes alongside Black Rock State Park from the tops of its namesake rock outcroppings; a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside can be seen.  But coffee was on my mind, so I continued on Route 6 until it ended at Reynolds Bridge, where I turned north to downtown Thomaston before finding some more appealing backroads heading out of the town.

In the village of Collinsville, as I crossed the bridge over the Farmington River, I saw an old factory with an L shape alongside a small pond connected to the river.  This building was the old Collins Company Axe Factory, which started back in 1826 with eight workers, each making eight axes per day.  As demand grew, they expanded their catalog to over 1300 implements such as axes, machetes, bayonets, and other edge tools.  Millions of Collins tools were purchased by the government to equip soldiers and by prospectors in the gold rush.  The village of Collinsville grew up around the factory as they scaled.  A rail line was run right through the factory in the 1850s to help with shipping goods to markets.  The company continued to enjoy success into the 20th century.  A flood in 1955 wiped out the railroad line and made it difficult for the company to compete globally.  By 1966, the company closed its doors after 140 years in business.  The railroad line is now a rail trail called the Farmington River Trail.  Today, there is an effort to restore the complex with apartments and shopping.

With Collinsville, a village in Canton, I had just a few minutes left till I turned onto US 44 - Albany Turnpike and found Giv Coffee on my left.  As I pulled into the parking lot & shut down the engine, Rever indicated my trip had been 94.6 miles.  Yes, that is a lot of diversions and turns from the compass distance of 53.2 miles, but every curve was worth it.  Check out the route below.

REVER is a mobile app designed to help you track, plan, or navigate your ride. With the app, you can easily plan your route, view maps and directions, and track your distance using GPS technology. The app is an excellent tool for anyone who loves to ride and wants to keep track of their progress and distance.

The Coffee Shop

The shop has a wrap-around parking lot, and near where I parked was an old ironworks building where they roast the beans.  A few steps lead to a small veranda covering the door. 

The counter is right near the entrance from the parking lot, with a pale green wall featuring the Giv Coffee logo behind it.  The espresso machine is finished in a similar shade of green with the name Giv Coffee Roasters printed on the front.  Some weathered wood covering the pillars and support beams gave me the impression of an old barn, fitting with the country atmosphere of northern Connecticut.  Several tables are available, with a bench along the wall and a window box in a bay window style.  On the other side of the table were light blue chairs.  Photos on one part of the wall feature coffee farmers the owners work with to source their beans.  It was quiet as I arrived with about five other people and plenty of seats to choose from.

Giv Coffee has been in Canton in Hartford County since 2015, while the owners, Jeff & Emily, started roasting in 2011 and offering them at farmers markets in the area.  Their attention to detail and craftsmanship was evident in the design of the space & I instantly felt at home.

The barista asked what I was riding upon noticing my riding gear.  She said she hadn’t heard me come in, perhaps a testament to the quietness of stock BMW exhausts.  A sign just above the counter had the menu listing espresso, cortado, cappuccino, latte, mocha, and americano for espresso drinks, plus brewed coffee, pour-over, and cold brews.  A few teas and other beverages also could be selected.  A few displays for pastries were on the counter as well.

I ordered a Cortado alongside a coffee cake & the barista said she would bring it to me.  I grabbed a seat in the bay window with the natural light pouring in.

Within a few minutes, the barista reappeared with my Cortado served in a clear glass alongside the coffee cake.  I love it when coffees are not served in paper cups.  The experience is so much better.  With a clear view of the beautiful light brown liquid I’d been waiting nearly 100 miles to sip, I was rewarded with a lovely chocolate flavor.  The coffee cake had a perfect blend of cinnamon, adding just the right sweetness to pair with my cortado.

This is one of the best coffee shops I’ve found, and well worth the nearly 100 miles to get there!  I had some beautiful sights along the way and some delicious refreshments when I arrived.