First Ascent Coffee started the way many Colorado ideas do, rooted in the mountains and shaped by people who would rather be outside than anywhere else. What began as a small Crested Butte café in 2015 has evolved into a brand built for life on the go, where a good cup doesn’t require slowing down.
Under owner Nathan Baldwin, that evolution centers on instant coffee, but not the kind you settle for. “We wanted something we could take outside without sacrificing the taste,” he says. The pandemic-era pivot was simple: make coffee portable and actually worth drinking.
First Ascent still roasts its beans in-house, sourcing from favorite regions and dialing in every detail. “We roast to different levels, brew to different strengths, and evaporate and evaporate,” Nathan says of the process. “We find the biggest coffee snobs we can and sample it over and over.” The result lands closer to a fresh cup than you might expect.
Each box includes six single-serve packets in three core flavors, with limited-time drops throughout the year, ready for a Jetboil at sunrise or a thermos mid-chairlift.
That quality has traveled far beyond the mountains. After a Colorado astronaut requested it in orbit, First Ascent made its way to the International Space Station, where it is still being sent today.
From Crested Butte to low Earth orbit, instant coffee has never gone farther.
Try It
Looking to get a sip of First Ascent Coffee without heading to Crested Butte? Head to Moxie Bread Co.’s Lyons location, where the mountain-born brew pairs with a lineup of easygoing, community-driven events. Sundays bring “Coffee n Tunes” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., an open bluegrass jam hosted by Charlie Rose that’s as welcoming as it is lively. You’ll also find Moxie at the Lyons Farmers Market from May 25 through October 5. Come summer, their backyard at the Louisville location becomes the place to be, featuring wood-fired sourdough pizza nights, live music, and a relaxed, stay-a-while vibe.
News Bites
IV Coffee Trailer is becoming a go-to in Crested Butte. Parked just off the main drag, it pours Cimarron Roastery espresso with handmade syrups and rotating teas. Open June through September, it’s a seasonal ritual as much as a morning fix.
Find the post-hike reset you didn’t know you needed at A Daily Dose. Known for whole-fruit and veggie smoothies, the Elk Avenue café leans fresh and feel-good, with light bites, coffee and tea, plus a small cocktail lineup for when your afternoon shifts into evening.
When you’re ready to swap hiking boots for your nicest Patagonia button-up, Two Twelve is where Crested Butte settles into dinner. Led by Colorado native chef Anthony Nelson, whose resume includes Nobu and The Little Nell, the restaurant leans on local, seasonal cuisine prepared through the art of live-fire cooking.
For print-exclusive stories, download the digital magazine or pick up a copy from select local King Soopers, Safeway, Tattered Cover, or Barnes & Noble locations.
