Civil Goat got its start in Austin’s Cuernavaca neighbourhood, west of the city on the way to Lake Travis, where artists, makers, families and longtime locals share the same streets and trails. Chris and the team set out to make a place where people could slow down and feel they belonged, and the original café is still home to two goats, Butters and Norm, who have become local celebrities and can be admired from a respectful distance.

Civil Goat roasts its own coffee in Austin, aiming for balanced, approachable cups, “the coffee our regulars can’t live without”. The range mixes single origins from Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, Guatemala and Nicaragua with named blends: Cuernavaca, a Brazil and Guatemala blend with milk chocolate, toasted nuts and banana bread in the roaster’s notes, Ocotillo, Terco and Caliche, which pair Latin American coffees with Ethiopia and Kenya, Old Louie, a washed Yirgacheffe, and a Colombian decaf. The beans are sold in the cafés, online as one-off bags or subscriptions, and for collection at selected shops.

There are four cafés: Cuernavaca, Guadalupe, Manor Road and East 6th. Civil Goat also caters events and takes on wholesale partners.

Coffee on the shelf

Photograph: Civil Goat Coffee