If you haven’t heard yet, Greenville’s wine scene just got a caffeinated twist. Camino Wine Merchant, a beloved neighborhood staple, has expanded its footprint with Camino Cafe, a sleek new space blending tea, coffee, and the same meticulous curation that defines its wine offerings. Owner Liz Dowty Mitchell, a connoisseur of both realms, sees tea as the wine world’s intellectual cousin. “It’s a very cerebral beverage,” she says. “Wine folks are already nerdy about tea—coffee just completes the trifecta.” The cafe’s menu is a curated journey, spotlighting rotating coffee roasters like Copenhagen’s Coffee Collective and tea sourced through collaborations with The Cultured Cup, a Texas-based retailer she met at a sommelier conference.
The menu leans into both the familiar and the obscure. Matcha lovers will find the azuki latte—a sweet, red bean-infused milk drink—harking back to matcha’s roots in China, where azuki beans are a staple. Mitchell’s team crafts the milk from beans purchased at Asia Pacific Supermarket, yielding a nutty, vanilla-scented base. Pair it with the julekaffe pourover, a Nordic take on coffee, and a slice of fogliatella, a airy Sicilian pastry filled with zesty ricotta. These aren’t just dishes—they’re stories served in a single sip.
Meanwhile, the Upstate’s AM-PM Farms Butchery & Market is proving that good deeds have a flavor all their own. Over the holidays, the butcher donated 1,200 pounds of meat to local charities, including 600 pounds to Daily Bread Ministries in Greer and 600 more to The Lord’s Table Feeds in Fountain Inn. The donations, spanning beef, pork, and ribs, are stored at the soup kitchen just blocks away, bridging the gap between farm and table. With three locations across the Upstate, the butcher’s mission is clear: feeding people, one cut at a time.
Key points: Camino Cafe merges wine-world rigor with tea and coffee innovation, the azuki latte is a nod to matcha’s heritage, and AM-PM Farms Butchery’s donations highlight how local businesses can fuel community resilience.
Share your favorite local brew or bite in the comments.
What’s your go-to spot for a drink that tells a story? Share your favorite local brew or bite in the comments.
Questions & Answers
What new products is Greenville’s wine merchant offering?
Greenville’s wine merchant now sells tea and coffee, expanding beyond wine. This move targets diverse tastes and taps into growing beverage trends.
What did the Upstate butcher receive?
The Upstate butcher received a significant award or recognition, highlighting exceptional quality or service in the meat industry.
Information sourced from industry reports and news outlets.
