Exploring Pawling: A Coffee Journey at Pawling Coffee Roaster
The Ride
When I was in the Citibeemers, one of our regular breakfast stops for our weekly rides was Karen’s Diner in Pawling, NY. There are many great roads leading to and away from the town, so we always found a fun route to take.
Today, as I climbed aboard my BMW R1200GSA, I was returning to Pawling, located in Dutchess County, for a coffee ride. With our destination, Pawling Coffee Roaster, plugged into the Beeline, it indicated just 20.2 miles as the crow flies in compass mode. Of course, the whole point of the compass mode is to discover your roads to get to your destination, and I expected our ride distance to be a bit further. See our article on discovering new roads with Beeline.
I headed north on Route 121, aiming to take my favorite road to the reservoir near Titicus Reservoir. As I was on the GS, I took the slight dirt road diversion that eliminated my need to head further east and got me onto Route 116 much faster. The road terminates where it meets Route 22, and I follow that for a short while towards Brewster. Rather than sticking to 22, I turn off a bit onto the parallel side roads, which are much more fun.
My first is onto Brewster Hill Road, which, true to its name, has me climbing and meandering up a hill to the side of Bog Brook Reservoir. As I reach the summit of Brewster Hill, the descent offers a good view of the valley below, and I pass by Brewster High School. This road runs nearly exactly parallel to Route 22, but doesn’t have all the traffic of the Albany Post Road.
The road ends at State Highway 164, where I turn left and then immediately right onto Cornwall Hill Road. You may notice a trend: hill roads tend to be fun, and they also better align with the compass on the Beeline.
This road ends at Route 311 in Patterson, and I turn right, heading through the village and crossing the railroad tracks. I reconnect with Route 22, where I turn left to head north. This section of Route 22 isn’t very scenic as it is filled with strip malls on either side. I pass Karen’s Diner, where I’ve had many a meal after a motorcycle ride over the years. About another mile down the road is Daryl’s House, owned by Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates fame.
As the strip malls come to a close and the road opens up some more, I turn left at the next traffic light to head into the village of Pawling. Right near the train tracks, I find my destination. Rever reported that I’d ridden just about 28.8 miles, so about a 40% diversion rate from the straight Beeline distance. See 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. Check out our full review of Rever.
The Coffee Shop
It’s easy to mistake Pawling as just a strip mall town if you stick to the main road of Route 22. But, heading to the village of Pawling, where the train station is located, you find some smaller roads and a charming-looking village. Very close to the train tracks, I find Pawling Coffee Roaster. A small driveway adjacent to it leads to a gravel parking lot out back. There aren’t many spots, so it may be easier to find street parking and walk over to the shop.
A few steps lead up to the building entrance, and the coffee roaster is the first door on the right as I enter the building. It’s a small space with a small room in front, where the counter is located, and where all the coffee is made. There is a board listing several of the roasts that are available for purchase by the pound. Underneath it are several small jars with sniffer holes, each filled with a different bean. A great way to sample it, and there are tasting notes accompanying each one. While I waited for my order, I sniffed each of the bean jars and found all had wonderful tones, so I was encouraged that I’d have a great coffee.
The owner greeted me warmly and took my order. After sampling the bean sniffers, I headed into the next room, which contained a small seating area with a few tables and chairs. It was quiet during my mid-morning weekday visit, as I was the only patron seated. With such proximity to the train station, it’s a quick stop for a takeout coffee to energize commuters during their train ride to the city.
It’s a simple decor catering to a mostly takeout crowd. Another room, marked with an Authorized Personnel Only sign, contained the roaster, and the owner made several trips in there to move beans in and out of the roaster during my visit.
As I settled into a seat in the other room, the owner asked if I wanted it to stay or go. This gave me hope for a proper mug, and those hopes were fulfilled when the owner brought my cappuccino, served in a nice reddish-brown mug and saucer. The wide rim gave me a clear view of the foam and the caramel-colored edge of the coffee as I sipped it. I paired it with a cinnamon roll, which had a nice sweet flavor with a glaze of frosting on the top.
The color of the coffee matched the flavor, with hints of caramel that were softened by the foamed milk. The smooth texture of the coffee provided clear indications that the quality of the beans and the roasting process were higher than those of a typical coffee shop.
While the decor of the seating area is very simple and not a reason to visit, the coffee is outstanding. If you want to follow this ride and visit Pawling Coffee Roaster, I suggest getting your coffee to go and then strolling through the village, as the coffee is outstanding and the village offers some interesting sights to see along the way.
