• Oliver Parini
• The "#VeryAsian" Ube Uncommon Coffee in Essex

Uncommon Coffee — Burlington's Uncommon Grounds took home the Daysie for best coffee shop six years in a row prior to its closing in 2019. Now, a coffee shop run by its former manager follows in its footsteps.

Maya Crowley opened Uncommon Coffee in the Essex Experience in 2020. The 5,000-square-foot space feels like a cozy library, with wingback armchairs, wooden benches, and floor-to-very-high-ceiling shelves filled with books and plants. Rob Maynard, another Uncommon Grounds alum, runs the roaster in the back of the shop.

Uncommon's Japanese-style iced coffee is flash-chilled; it's bright and strong, showing off the subtle flavors of carefully selected single-origin beans. Customers can personalize their 16-ounce cups with local maple, housemade vegan flavor syrups or even CBD.

If iced coffee's not your jam, Crowley also dreams up unique and luxurious seasonal drink specials, including what she called the "#VeryAsian" Ube and Cardamom & Smoke lattes to celebrate Lunar New Year.

Other Finalists (Inside Chittenden County)

• The Cosmic Grind
• Muddy Waters
• Onyx Tonics
• Speeder & Earl's Coffee

• Jeb Wallace-Brodeur
• Capitol Grounds Café

Capitol Grounds Café — On a typical morning, you’ll find folks who live, work, legislate and lobby in Montpelier fraternizing at Capitol Grounds. Beans for the coffee and espresso drinks are sourced from around the world and roasted in-house under the 802 Coffee label.

Other Finalists (Outside Chittenden County)

• Catalyst Coffee Bar
• PK Coffee
• Stowe Street Café
• Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea Co.