Bittersweet Coffeehouse is bringing a new and diverse method of brewing coffee to the Huntington area.

Madelynn Coalson, a barista at the coffeehouse, said each cup of coffee is made individually.

“Pour over is considered a third wave coffee,” Coalson said. “Each batch is ground individually so you get the freshest cup you possibly can. Then it’s hand poured and takes about five to seven minutes.”

Bittersweet Coffeehouse is the only coffee shop in the area that uses the pour over method.

Owner Rita Evans guessed the closest coffee shop using this method might be in Lexington.

“Our menu is what separates us from other coffeehouses,” Evans said. “Third wave coffee goes back to the roots of coffee. This is a manual process, and it does take a little bit of time, but it’s handcrafted. The beans are ground per cup, and there are different grinds, different filters and two different methods even though they’re both considered pour overs.”

Evans said they do more than ground the beans.

“Plus we hand pack each espresso shot, so it’s not automatic,” Evans said. “We measure everything out. Every morning we have to test the grinder to see how the shots are pulling, the time, the color and volume.”

Marshall University student and first time customer, Claire Litton, said she enjoyed the atmosphere and what the shop had to offer.

“I think the variety of coffee is impressive,” Litton said. “I like that they have pastries as well. The prices are comparable for students and I like to support local businesses, too.”

Evans said since the opening in December 2014, the owners and six staff members have used the time to get used to how the business works.

“It’s been great,” Evans said. “We’re right on track. We opened the day that school let out for Christmas, so it gave us some time. We had already been training for several months.”

Evans and her husband Jeff bought the building in February and immediately remodeled it.

“I’m a big coffee connoisseur,” Evans said. “I’ve been in and out of coffeehouses. I knew Huntington had a need for something different. It’s a great way to diversify what we’re doing and then be able to offer something to the community that’s not here.”

Bittersweet Coffeehouse is located at 2001 Seventh Ave. and is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sofie Wachtmeister can be contacted at [email protected].