Andie Sterling pouring hot green tea over some bee pollen, as one does. Photo by Will Milne.
Harvest House has been open for about four months now and in that span of time it has quickly become one of Denton's most popular bars. But there's a strange Jekyll and Hyde phenomenon happening at this popular bar and venue that speaks to why the place opens at 10am on weekdays. We spoke with Harvest House's Cafe Manager and juicer of many things, Andie Sterling, about the other half of Harvest House that exists Monday through Friday from 10am - 5pm and why it should possibly be your new daytime hangout. Read on for more...
Harvest House Cafe Manager, Andie Sterling, and some cold brew. Photo by Will Milne.
While Harvest House is a popular local spot for late-night drinking or live music, in the daytime it just so happens to be one of Denton's best coffee/tea/juice shops drastically different from the other shops in town. Andie Sterling has been one of the driving forces that has made that happen.
Sterling is a longtime Dentonite with a background in 4-H, wineries, art education, and home brewing. She has even sold kombucha starter kits and taught workshops out of her home for many years. In more recent years, she's gone on to help many of Denton's newer fermentation-related dealers set up shop. Aside from Harvest House, Sterling was instrumental in making Audacity Brewhouse as awesome as it is (Ever noticed the garden outside of their location with all edible, local plants? That was Sterling.), and is currently working with Ben Esely of the upcoming beer store and growler stop on McKinney St., The Bearded Monk, to plan future home brewing classes at the store.
Sterling takes an educational slant to her juice-heavy mixology. She hopes to attract customers interested in learning more about the liquids they are drinking. "Once people are empowered with the knowledge behind the art of craft beverage making, they can appreciate the product that much more," Sterling said. Sterling, herself, is full of knowledge on just about any of the drinks you can feel good about ingesting before 5pm. We walked away from our interview knowing more about not only juice and tea, but the fermentation process and even weird stuff like why you would want to pour hot tea over bee pollen. For example, let's say you're coming in to sit down, have a cup of coffee and work on your laptop in the natural light for a while. Sterling hopes that you will ask questions about what beans they have in that day, where they came from, and what tasting notes you'll notice when drinking out of their handmade ceramic glasses.
Sterling has garnered relationships with each of their suppliers for the more daytime-centric drinks at Harvest House. From Cuvee Coffee to Holy Kombuncha to their loose leaf tea supplier, The Art of Tea, Sterling has reasons for using each of their wares at Harvest House and has visited or met with most of them. In fact, Cuvee coffee will be on-hand this Friday, July 17th to lead in a one hour instructional coffee tasting (more info on that can be found here).
A cube of juice with some tonic and simple syrup.
The Shinsen juice is heavy on apples, ginger, and deliciousness.
Cold brewed Gyokuro green tea.
Sterling has taken it upon herself to create four juices that are as colorful as they are healthy. In fact, you've probably tried one of them already. When you see someone walking away from the bar with a bright red or green, shimmering beverage, you notice it. Vivánt, shinsen, calór and totom are the names of the four juices on the menu. Don't let the accents ward you away. Each of them has been thoughtfully put together (check out the ingredient list in the picture below) and each of them taste as vibrant as they look. If you're not interested in drinking the juice straight, you have a multitude of other options. The juices are all available in frozen cube (AKA ice) form. We tried the vivánt with some tonic and simple syrup. Wait a few minutes for the cube to start melting (it is summer in Texas) and the flavors turn into something not unlike a Dreamsicle. If you're looking for a refreshing summer beverage, this is where it's at. Additionally, Harvest House has also come out with their brand new cocktail menu this summer which heavily features Sterling's juices. Juice too healthy for ya? Add some whiskey, gin, or vodka to it and your problems are solved. These cocktails are full of mixers that you won't find anywhere else in town.
While Harvest House has Cuvee Coffee's nitrogenated Black and blue on tap, they also have their own cold brew for you to try mixed with chicory simple syrup and almond milk, but it changes daily depending upon the beans used.
Harvest House is located at 331 E. Hickory St. and is open Monday through Saturday from 10am - 2am and Sunday from noon until 2am. Go by and say hello to Sterling and grab a juice, coffee, cocktail, or one of their new sno-cones. We bet they're all great pairings with a taco from Denton's newest food truck, Coup de Taco, also located at Harvest House.